THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


HOW  HE  WON  HER, 


SEQUEL  TO  "FAIR  PUT." 


BY 


MRS.  EMMA  D.  E.  JST,  SOUTHWORTH. 

AUTHOR     OF    "FAIR   PLAT/1      "  THE    WIDOW'S  SON,"  "THE     BRIDE     OF     LLEWELT.YI 

"HAUNTED     HOMESTEAD,"     "RETRIBUTION,"    "THE   DISCARDED   DAUOHTER,' 


LAW,"    "INDIA," 


"THE    DESERTED  WIFE,"    "LOVE'S    LABOR    WON," 
"FALLEN    PRIOR,"     "THE    CHANGED     BRIDES," 

"THE    PRINCE     OF     DARKNESS,"     ETC.,     ETC. 


"She  loved  him  for  the  dangers  he  had  passed." — SHAKSPEARB. 
"  None  but  the  brave  deserve  the  fair." — COLLINS. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
T.    B.    PETERSON    &    BROTHERS; 

306     CHESTNUT     STREET. 


Entered  according  to  Act  ,  f  C  ;.0:e    .  in  i;.L.  J-JK 
T.  B.  PETERSON   &    BROTHEKS, 


of    the  District  Court  of  the  United  States,  iu  and   for  tho 
Eastern  District  of-Pennsylvania. 


MRS.  EMMA  D,  E.  K  SOUTHWORTH'S  WORKS. 

Each  Work  is  complete  in  one  largo  duodecimo  volume. 
FAIR  PLAY;    OR,    THE  TEST  OF  THE  LONE  ISLE. 

HOW  HE  WON  HER.    A  SEQUEL  TO  FAIR  PLAY. 
THE  PRINCE  OF  DARKNESS. 
THE  CHANGED  BRIDES. 

THE    THREE  BEAUTIES. 
THE  WIFE'S   VICTORY. 

THE  MOTHER-IN-LAW. 

FALLEN  PRIDE;  OR,   THE  .MOUNTAIN  GIRL'S  LOVE. 
THE  BRIDE  OF  LLEWELLYN. 
THE  GIPSY'S  PROPHECY. 
THE  FORTUNE- SEEKER. 

THE  DESERTED  WIFE. 
THE  LOST  HEIRESS. 

RETRIBUTION. 

INDIA  ;  OR,    THE  PEARL   OF  PEARL  RIVER. 
THE  FATAL  MARRIAGE. 

THE  HAUNTED  HOMESTEAD. 
LOVE'S  LABOR   WON. 

THE  MISSING  BRIDE. 
LADY  OF  THE  ISLE. 

THE  TWO  SISTERS. 

VIVIA;  OR,    THE  SECRET  OF  POWER. 
THE  CURSE  OF  CLIFTON. 

THE  DISCARDED  DA  UGHTER. 
THE  WIDOWS  SON. 

ALLWORTH  ABBEY. 

THE  BRIDAL  EVE. 

Price  of  each,  $1.75  in  Cloth;  or  $1.50  in  Paper  Cover. 


Above  books    are    for  sale    by  all   Booksellers.     Copies  of    any 
or  all  of  the  above  books  will  be  sent  to    any  one,   to  any  place, 
postnge  pre-paid,  on  receipt  of  their  price  by  the  Publishers, 
T.  B.  PETEESOK  &  BllOTHEKS, 

306  CHESTNUT  STREET,  PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 


?s 


TO 

MRS,  FRANCES  HENSHAW  BADEN, 

OF    WASHINGTON    CITY; 

IN  COMMEMORATION  OF  HER   ENTIRE   DEVOTION) 

FOR    THE    PERIOD    OF    FOUR    YEARS, 
TO    THE    SICK   AND  WOUNDED    SOLDIERS, 

IN    THE    HOSPITALS, 

THIS    STORY    OF    THE    WAR 

IS    AFFECTIONATELY    INSCRIBED, 

BY    HER    SISTER. 

PROSPECT  COTTAGE, 

GEORGETOWN,  D.  C. 

FEBRUARY,  18691 


CONTENTS. 


Chapter  yag« 

I.— EEMINIE'S  STOET. 25 

n.— THE  VETEBAN'S  BETUEN 34 

in. — JUSTIN  ENLISTS. — ELFIE  DBILLS 45 

rv. — THE  SOLDIEB'S  LOVE 54 

V.— THE  LOVEES'  PABTING 68 

VI.— THE  GUEBBILLA'S  WIFE 80 

VII. — ABOUT    ALBEETA 92 

VEIL— ABOUT  BEITOMAETE 103 

IX.— AN  UNEXPECTED  GUEST  AT  A  PICNIC 115 

X  .—AS  THE  LION  WOOS  HIS  BEIDE 130 

XL— A  MOONLIGHT  FLIGHT 143 

xii.— THE  OUTLAW'S  LOVE 155 

Xin.— THE  ALAEM 168 

XIV.— THE  FLIGHT 178 

XV. — COLONEL  BOSENTHAL 193 

XVI. — THE    MEETING 208 

XVII.— THE  GUEEEILLA'S    ENCAMPMENT 216 

XVIII.— MONCK 224 

XIX.— A  COLD-BLOODED  SENTENCE 232 


•  1 


24  CONTENTS. 

Chapter  Page 

XX. — THE    WHISPER 244 

XXI. — THE  MOUNTAIN  CAMP 256 

XXII. — THE   MARCH 269 

XXIII.— THE    BATTLE 278 

XXIV. — THE  FATE  OF  THE   FEEE   SWORD 283 

XXV. — AFTER  THE  BATTLE 287 

XXVI. — ELFIE  IN  THE   GROVE 290 

XXVII.— REQUIESCAT  IN  PACE 300 

xxviii.— ELFIE'S  RETURN 304 

xxix.— ELFIK'S  VISIT  TO  LITTLE  MIM 315 

XXX. — AN  UNEXPECTED   MEETING  IN    THE  HOSPITAL..  323 

xxxi.— POOR  ELFIE'S  HONEYMOON 334 

XXXII. — THE  REBEL    RIDES  ON  HIS  RAIDS  NO  MORE 345 

XXXIH. — AT  PEACE 356 

xxxiv. — WING'S  GALLANT  CHARGE 366 

XXXV. — DEATH  LIGHTS 374 

XXXVI.— THE  DEATH  WATCH 385 

XXXVII.— THE  GHOSTLY  VISITOR 397 

xxxviii.— ELFIE'S  VISION 408 

xxxix.— BOB'S  SPECTRE 422 

XL.— ON  THE  BATTLE  FIELD 432 

XLI. — THE  SURPRISE 444 

XLII. — "  THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  END." 460 

XLIII. — DELIVERANCE  AT  LAST 469 

XLIV. — AFTER  A  WHILE 480 

XL v.— THE  WOMAN'S  DEAREST  EIGHT 497 


HOW  HE  WON  HER. 


CHAPTEE  I. 
ERMINIB'S   STORY. 

How  sleep  the  brave,  who  sink  to  rostt 

By  all  their  country's  wishes  blest! 

When  spring  with  dewy  finders  cold 

Returns  to  deck  their  hallowed  mould, 

She  there  shall  dress  a  sweeter  sod 

Than  fancy's  feet  have  ever  trod. 

By  fairy  hands  their  knell  is  rung, 

By  forms  unseen  their  dirge  is  sung. 

There  honor  comes,  a  pilgrim  gray, 

To  bless  the  turf  that  wraps  their  clay 

And  freedom  shall  awhile  repair 

To  dwell,  a  weeping  hermit,  there. — COLLINS.' 

IT  was  not  until  the  morning  succeeding  his  arrival,  after 
breakfast,  when  they  found  themselves  alone  together  in  the 
drawing-room,  that  Justin  told  Erminie  the  story  of  his 
voyage  and  shipwreck,  his  preservation  and  residence  on 
the  Desert  Island,  and  his  rescue  and  return  home. 

She  listened  with  breathless  interest  to  his  narrative,  and 
when  it  was  finished  she  earnestly  thanked  Heaven  for  his 
restoration  to  his  home  and  friends. 

And  then,  in  return,  she  gave  him  the  history  of  all  that 
had  occurred  to  her  since  he  had  first  sailed. 

She  told  him  of  those  gathering  clouds  of  disaffection  in 
the  South  that  no  one  could  be  made  to  believe  would  ever 
break  in  a  storm  of  Civil  War.  She  spoke  of  that  solemn 
day  in  the  Senate  when  the  Southern  senators  withdrew. 
She  whispered  of  the  shameful,  sorrowful  day  when  Fort 
Sumter  was  taken,  and,  in  the  language  of  the  man  who 
commanded  the  assault,  "  The  proud  flag  that  had  never 

(25) 


26  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

been  humbled  before — the  star-spangled  banner — was  hum- 
bled to  the  dust."  She  told  how  these  words  had  burned 
in  the  hearts  of  all  true  patriots  until  they  lighted  a  flame 
of  love  of  country,  hate  of  traitors,  never  to  be  quenched ; 
how,  at  the  President's  call  for  seventy-five  thousand  men, 
four  times  that  number  started  to  arms ;  how  even  across 
the  broad  Atlantic,  in  Ireland,  the  warm-hearted  lovers  of 
the  Union  had  banded  together  and  offered  their  services  to 
the  Federal  Government  through  our  ministers  and  consuls 
abroad ;  how  these  had  been  declined  en  masse,  as  un- 
needed  then. 

Here  the  Lutheran  minister's  orphan  child  paused  to 
gather  strength ;  for  she  had  next  to  speak  of  the  fatal 
fields  of  Bethel  and  Ball's  Bluif ;  and  of  Bull  Eun,  where 
her  brave  father  fell.  She  told  the  awful  history  amidst 
sobs  and  tears  that  she  could  not  restrain. 

"  He  died  where  he  fell,  before  his  men,  in  front  of  the 
enemy.  He  lies  buried  near  the  spot,  his  grave  marked  by 
the  care  of  a  brother  officer,  his  honored  remains  waiting 
only  the  return  of  peace  to  be  removed." 

"  They  shall  not-await  the  return  of  peace,  they  shall  be 
brought  home  immediately,"  answered  Justin. 

Then  Erminie  spoke  of  opening  her  father's  will,  and 
seeing  there  that  he  had  left  his  property  to  his  two 
children,  to  be  divided  between  them,  share  and  share 
alike. 

"  Then  my  dear  father  did  not  believe  me  to  be  lost  ?  " 
said  Justin. 

"  Then  we  none  of  us  did ;  there  had  not  been  time 
enough  for  us  to  grow  anxious.  We  had  got  two  letters 
from  you,  one  mailed  from  Porto  Praya,  and  one  from  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope.  When  my  dear  father  died  we  were 
looking  daily  for  a  letter  from  you  from  Calcutta." 

"  I  am  glad  that  he  had  suffered  no  anxiety  on  my  ac- 
count. Go  on,  sweet  sister." 


ERMINIE'B    STORY.  27 

"  Oh,  my  brother !  after  that  public  and  private  woea 
came  thick  and  fast.  Defeat  after  defeat  discouraged  our 
army,  until  at  length  came  the  crushing  shame  and  sorrow 
of  the  last  battle  of  Manassas.  Blow  upon  blow  fell  upon 
my  own  heart,  until  I  thought  that  the  Lord  had  forgotten 
to  take  care  of  me.  I  was  still  weeping,  weeping  day  and 
night  over  the  death  of  my  dear  father,  when  there  came 
news  of  the  wreck  of  the  Sultana.  It  came  through  the 
officers  of  that  Dutch  merchantman  who  picked  up  the 
life-boat  with  the  missionary  party  on  board ;  and  it  came 
in  the  form  of  a  narrative  written  by  the  Reverend  Mr. 
Ely.  It  was  published  in  all  the  papers.  It  contained  a 
list  of  the  names  of  those  whose  lives  were  lost.  And,  Jus- 
tin, your  name  was  among  them  !  " 

«  Poor  sister !  " 

"  I  laid  down  to  die.  I  did  so  wish  for  death !  But  I 
suppose  youth  and  life  were  too  strong  within  me  and  I 
lived  and  suffered.  Ah,  Justin  !  I  was  a  very  self-occupied 
woman  up  to  that  time.  I  thought  '  no  sorrow  was  like 
unto  my  sorrow.'  In  the  midst  of  that  great  bitterness  of 
grief  I  received  a  telegram  from  New  York  calling  me  to 
the  death-bed  of  our  dear  Uncle  Friedrich." 

"  Yes,  I  know." 

"  I  went  on  immediately  and  remained  with  him  until  he 
died.  Ah,  Justin  !  The  scene  of  that  good  man's  peaceful 
departure  went  far  to  heal  my  spirit.  He  talked  to  me 
when  he  was  able  ;  his  words  were  few,  but  very  precious. 
He  told  me,  in  this  great  crisis  of  the  country's  history,  when 
for  the  high  and  holy  cause  of  union  and  liberty  hundreds 
were  suffering  more  than  I,  and  thousands  quite  as  much  ;  I 
must  not  sit  down  in  selfish  sorrow,  I  must  get  up  and  min- 
ister to  those  whose  sorrows  were  as  great  as  mine,  and  whose 
necessities  were  so  much  greater." 

"He  was  right,  Erminie." 

"  I  know  it.  and  I  knew  it  then.     He  told  me  to  go  among 


28  HOW      HEWON      HER. 

the  wounded  soldiers  in  the  numerous  hospitals,  and  with 
hand  and  purse  minister  to  them  and  relieve  their  wants, 
He  told  me  to  seek  out  the  hereaved  widows  and  orphans, 
and  mothers  of  those  who  had  fallen  in  the  holy  war ;  and 
to  serve  all  as  far  as  they  should  have  need  and  I  have 
power ;  hut  especially — oh  !  especially  to  minister  to  the 
mourning  mothers.  '  Widows/  he  said,  '  may  be  consoled 
by  second  husbands ;  orphans  grow  up  and  forget  their 
fathers;  but  the  mother  whose  boy  has  fallen  in  battle  is  in- 
consolable and  unforgetting  forever.  Therefore  especially, 
•motherless  girl,  comfort  the  childless  mothers.'  And  kneel- 
ing by  his  bed  I  kissed  his  hands  and  promised  to  obey  hia 
words.  And  that  same  day,  as  the  sun  went  down,  he  died. 
But  it  was  not  until  some  days  had  passed  that  I  knew  he 
had  left  me  all  his  wealth.  Justin,  I  came  home,  and  I  have 
religiously  obeyed  his  dying  instructions,  and — in  comforting 
others  I  have  found  comfort." 

"  As  all  mourners  may,  if  they  will,  my  sweet  sister,"  re- 
plied her  brother.  He  fell  into  deep  thought  for  a  few- 
minutes,  and  then,  looking  earnestly  at  his  sister,  he  said : 

"  But,  Erminie,  in  all  this  long  story  you  have  never  once 
mentioned  the  name  of  Colonel  Eastworth.  Where  is  he  ? 
What  is  he  doing  ?  Why  are  you  not  married  ?  " 

Erminie  grew  even  paler  than  she  had  before  been;  she 
compressed  her  lips  until  they  too  faded,  and  then  slowly  and 
steadily  answered : 

"  '  Where  is  he  ?  '  In  South  Carolina.  '  What  is  he  do- 
ing? '  Warring  upon  his  native  land.  'Why  are  we  not 
married  ?  '  Because  the  child  of  Ernest  Rosenthal  can  never 
be  the  wife  of  a  man  in  arms  against  his  country.  Never 
mention  his  name  to  me  again,  Justin.  For  he  was  the  very 
caitiff  who  so  gloried  in  his  shame  as  to  boast  that  he  had 
humbled  the  proud  flag  that  had  never  been  humbled  be- 
fore ! " 

And  the  beautiful  eyes  of  this  "falcon-hearted  dove" 
flashed  as  she  spoke. 


ERMINIE'S    STORY.  29 

Justin  put  out  his  arms  an'd  drew  her  to  his  breast ;  for 
he  saw  that  those  flashing  eyes  were  about  to  be  drowned  in 
tears. 

"  My  dear  sister  !  my  dear,  dear  sister,  blow  upon  blow  baa 
indeed  fallen  fast  upon  your  heart.  How  much  you  have 
suffered  ! "  he  said,  as  he  tenderly  soothed  her. 

She  wept  upon  his  bosom  for  a  little  while,  and  then  lift- 
ing her  head  and  wiping  her  eyes,  she  smiled  and  said: 

"But  I  have  been  comforted,  Justin.  In  comforting 
others  I  have  been  comforted.  And  now  I  am  more  than 
comforted — I  am  rejoiced.  Now  all  is  changed,  in  public 
and  in  private,  from  grief  to  joy.  And  oh  !  how  suddenly 
changed,  brother !  In  a  day  !  Almost  in  an  hour  !  Yester- 
day morning  came  the  glorious  news  of  the  victory  of  Get- 
tysburg, and  I  knew  that  the  tide  of  war  had  turned.  Soon 
after — very  soon  after — came  a  messenger  of  joy  to  me. 
The  minister  that  brought  me  the  news  of  your  safe  return 
from — the  grave !  It  was  like  a  miraculous  resurrection. 
Coming  directly  upon  the  news  of  the  great  victory,  it  was 
almost  overwhelming.  There  seemed  too  much  joy  for  one 
day!" 

"  I  entreated  Dr.  Sales  to  break  the  matter  to  you  very 
cautiously,"  said  Justin. 

"  Ah !  do  you  think  that  could  be  broken  to  me  cautious- 
ly ?  "  inquired  Erminie,  with  a  smile.  "  Why,  Justin,  as 
soon  as  he  came  into  the  room  and  I  saw  his  face,  I  knew 
that  he  brought  me  '  glad  tidings.'  I  naturally  thought  it 
was  of  the  victory  of  Gettysburg,  so  I  told  him  I  bad 
heard  of  it  that  very  morning.  But  when  he  drew  your 
name  into  the  conversation,  I  knew  in  an  instant  that  you 
were  saved.  Oh,  Justin,  it  was  such  a  shock  of  joy  !  But 
it  did  not  kill  me,  as  it  might  have  done." 

"  Yes,  it  might,  my  sweet  sister,  for  you  look  very  pale, 
and  thin,  and  fragile — not  well  able  to  bear  a  shock  of  any 
sort,"  said  Justin  tenderly. 


30  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

"Ah,  but  all  is  well  now.  I  am  happy,  so  happy,  although 
I  weep.  You  must  not  mind  my  weeping,  dear.  We  wo- 
men often  weep  most  when  we  are  happiest,  and — ah,  yes  ! 
Heaven  knows,  smile  most  when  we  are  most  wretched  !  " 

"  '  Smile  most  when  you  are  most  wretched  ! '  Where 
have  you  learned  that  bitter  lesson,  my  sister  ?  "  Justin 
gravely  questioned. 

"  In  the  hospital,  where  I  have  seen  the  heart-broken 
mother  smiling  on  her  mutilated  or  dying  boy  to  keep  his 
spirits  up,  as  long  as  he  should  live." 

"  You  seem  to  be  very  familiar  with  the  wards  of  the  hos- 
pitals, my  sister." 

"  It  is  the  business,  the  blessing  of  my  life  to  be  so.  But, 
Justin,  dear,  I  wish  to  ask  you  about  Britomarte.  You 
took  care  of  her  on  the  Desert  Island.  She  saved  your  life 
in  the  sea  fight.  Ah,  how  my  heart  thrilled  to  the  touch  of 
that  story.  Now  you  are  betrothed,  I  hope,  and  soon  to 
marry?  Oh,  Justin,  how  cordially  I  would  welcome  her 
here  as  my  sister,  and  how  wittingly  resign  my  position  as 
mistress  of  the  house,  in  her  favor.  For  the  house  is  yours, 
you  know,  Justin,  and  as  your  wife  it  would  be  her  right." 

Justin  slowly  shook  his  head,  compressed  his  lips,  and 
frowned. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that,  my  brother  ?  " 

"  There  is  no  possibility  of  a  marriage  between  Miss 
Conyers  and  myself,"  he  said. 

"  JUSTIN  ! » 

"You  know  what  were  Britomarte's  sentiments  on  the 
subject  of  marriage,  or  rather  of  the  position  of  a  woman 
in  marriage.  And  now  I  have  only  to  add  that  all  which 
has  happened  to  us  has  not  been  able  to  work  a  change  in 
them." 

"  Oh,  Justin  !     I  am  so  sorry  ! " 

"  So  you  see,  my  dear,  there  is  no  chance  of  your  being 
superseded  on  the  household  throne,  for  since  Britomarte 
will  not  be  uiy  wife,  no  other  woman  shall.'* 


ERMINIE'S    STORY.  31 

"  Oh  Justin,  what  a  pity.  But  if  she  will  not  be  you* 
wife,  she  shall  be  your  sister  and  mine.  She  shall  oome 
here,  and  share  my  home  and  means." 

"  She  would  never  do  that ;  she  is  much  too  proud  to  be 
dependent,  even  on  those  who  love  and  honor  her  most." 

"  Then  what  will  become  of  her  ?  for  oh,  Justin,  it  ia 
whispered  that — that " 

"  What  ? "  inquired  the  young  man,  seeing  his  sister 
grow  pale  and  large-eyed  as  she  paused. 

"  That — oh,  it  is  too  horrible  to  breathe — that " 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  speak,  Erminie !  " 

"  — The  house  is  the  resort  of  conspirators,  who  plan — 
pkin — no  less  a  crime  than — than — "  Her  voice  gradually 
sank  to  a  whisper,  and  then  stopped  altogether. 

"  Than  what  ?  Speak,  my  sister ;  take  courage  and 
speak  !  * 

"  Oh,  I  cannot !  I  cannot !  Spare  me !  it  is  too  hor- 
rible ! " 

"  But  what  house  is  it  to  which  you  allude  ?  " 

"  Witch  Elms." 

"  And  it  is  said  to  be  the  resort  of  conspirators,  who  plan 
— wha-t  ?  "  persisted  Justin. 

"  I  cannot  say  it.  I  hope  it  is  all  a  mere  canard.  Cer- 
tainly the  civil  and  the  military  authorities  have  both 
visited  and  ransacked  the  house,  but  they  have  discovered 
nothing  there  but  what  they  call  '  the  fossil  remains  of  an 
old  lady  and  two  negroes,'  meaning  Miss  Pole,  the  centena- 
rian aunt  of  Britomarte,  and  the  two  servants." 

"  Then  the  horrible  story,  whatever  it  may  be,  is  proba- 
bly a  mere  canard,  not  worth  our  attention." 

"  But  Britomarte  !  She  cannot  go  there,  even  if  her  old 
relative  would  receive  her.  What  will  become  of  her? 
What  can  we  do  for  her  ?  " 

"  We  can  do  many  things  in  this  world,  but  we  can  do 
nothing  with  the  will  of  a  woman  like  Miss  Conyers.  We 


32  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

must  leave  her  to  the  Lord  and  herself.  And  have  you 
lived  here  quite  alone  all  this  time,  my  poor  Erminie  ?  " 
said  Justin,  pityingly. 

"  Oh,  no.  I  should  have  told  you  before,  only  there  was 
so  much  to  tell  and  to  hear.  Elfrida  Fielding  is  with  me. 
She  is  a  refugee  from  Virginia.  Her  father  is  with  General 
Meade  at  Gettysburg.  We  had  a  telegram  from  him 
yesterday.  He  is  wounded  but  not  dangerously,  and  is 
coming  home  on  leave." 

"  Then  they  are  on  the  right  side." 

"  Thank  Heaven,  yes !  But  they  have  suffered  very 
much  for  their  devotion  to  the  Union;  they  have  had  their 
house  burned  over  their  heads  by  the  Secessionists,  and 
they  escaped  the  flames  only  through  the  fidelity  of  an  old 
family  servant.  They  have  been  here  ever  since.  At  least 
this  is  Elfie's  home  always,  and  her  father's  whenever  he 
comes  to  see  her." 

"  That  is  right,  my  sister.  Let  the  home  of  our  heroic 
father  be  the  refuge  of  all  whom  the  war  has  made  home- 
less, and  who  seek  its  threshold.  But  where  is  my  little 
friend  now  ?  I  should  be  glad  to  see  her." 

"  Immediately  on  receiving  the  telegram  yesterday,  she 
prepared  to  go  to  Gettysburg  to  bring  her  father  home.  I 
also  was  ready  to  go  with  her,  when  the  visit  of  Mr.  Sales 
with  the  joyful  news  of  your  return  stopped  my  journey. 
And  so  Elfie,  after  kissing  and  congratulating,  and  laugh- 
ing and  weeping  over  me,  and  sending  what  she  called  'lots 
of  love '  to  you,  left  in  the  three  o'clock  train  alone." 

While  the  sister  and  brother  conversed,  the  time,  un- 
heeded, passed  away,  and  now  it  was  nearly  noon,  when 
the  door-bell  rang. 

"  Oh,  I  hope  that  is  Britomarte.  Did  she  say  she  would 
come  early  ?  "  inquired  Erminie. 

"  She  said  she  would  come  this  morning — she  did  not 
specify  the  hour,"  answered  Justin,  rising  to  open  the 
drawing-room  door. 


ERMINIE'S    STORY.  33 

Britomarte  it  was,  for  Justin  met  her  on  the  threshold, 
in  the  act  of  being  ushered  in  by  Uncle  Bob,  the  old  ser- 
vant of  Elfie,  who  also  found  a  home  at  the  parsonage. 

Justin  warmly  welcomed  Miss  Conyers,  but  was  cut  short 
in  his  demonstrations  by  Erminie,  who  flew  to  meet  her 
friend,  and  fell  weeping  for  joy  on  Britomarte's  bosom. 

"How  pale  you  are,  my  darling.  You  have  suffered 
much  since  I  saw  you  last,"  said  Miss  Conyers,  tenderly 
caressing  Erminie. 

"  Oh,  much  !  much  !  How  much  you  do  not  know  or 
guess.  But  it  is  all  over  now,  dear  Britomarte,  quite  over, 
now  that  I  see  you  and  Justin  safe,  and  all  is  well,  now, 
very  well,  since  the  tide  of  war  has  turned,  and  the  invaders 
are  flying  before  our  victorious  army,"  she  answered,  smil- 
ing through  her  tears. 

"  And  do  you  know  what  they  are  saying  outside,  my  dar- 
ling?" inquired  Miss  Conyers,  brightly  ^glancing  back  her 
smile. 

"  No  !  what  ?  "  eagerly  demanded  Erminie. 

"  Haven't  you  been  out  this  morning,  Justin  ?  "  inquired 
Miss  Conyers,  turning  to  Mr.  Rosenthal. 

«  No— why  ?  " 

"  Nor  received  a  visitor  ?  " 

"  No  visitor  except  yourself." 

"  Then  I  have  the  happiness  to  be  the  first  to  announce 
the  news  to  you.  Vicksburg  has  capitulated  !  " 

"  Vicksburg  capitulated ! "  echoed  both  Justin  and  Er- 
minie, in  a  breath. 

"  The  words  are  in  everybody's  mouth.  The  stars  and 
stripes  are  waving  from  half  the  windows  on  the  avenue." 

"  Oh,  Justin,  go !  go  out  and  learn  the  particulars,  but 
don't  stay  long.  I  cannot  bear  you  out  of  my  sight  long, 
lest  I  should  wake  up  and  find  your  return  all  a  dream," 
urged  Erminie. 

And  Justin,  snatching  up  his  hat  and  gloves,  departed. 
2 


34  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

And  Britomarte  and  Erminie  were  left  together  for  a  long 
tete-a-tete.  Erniinie  took  Britomarte  up  into  her  own  bed- 
chamber, and  they  sat  down  to  talk.  What  need  to  relate 
their  conversation  ?  To  do  it  would  be  to  repeat  all  that  is 
already  known  to  the  reader  of  what  happened  to  each  dur- 
ing their  long  separation.  To  Britomarte  Erminie  told  the 
same  story  that  she  had  told  to  Justin,  and  by  her  was  com- 
forted with  the  same  tender  sympathy  she  had  received  from 
him.  And  Britomarte  answered  all  Erminie's  questions 
concerning  the  voyage,  the  wreck,  the  rescue,  the  life  on  the 
Desert  Island,  the  deliverance  from  the  place,  the  cruise  of 
the  Xyphias,  the  sea  fight,  the  capture  of  the  privateer,  and 
the  voyage  home. 


CHAPTER  II. 
THE  VETEKAK'S  RETURN. 

BrwARD— Had  he  his  hurts  before? 

Ros3B — Aye,  in  the  front. 

SIWABD — Why,  then,  God's  soldier  be  he !— SHAKBPEAEE. 

WHILE  Erminie  and  Britomarte  talked  together,  there 
came  a  rush  of  feet  upon  the  stairs,  followed  by  the  flinging 
open  of  the  chamber  door,  and  the  sudden  appearance  of 
Elfie.  She  sprang  at  once  towards  Britomarte,  threw  her- 
self upon  her  bosom,  and  hugged  and  kissed  her,  and 
laughed  and  cried  over  her. 

"  But,  dear  Elfie,  how  soon  you  have  returned.  la 
twenty-four  hours.  Why,  you  could  scarcely  have  reached 
your  journey's  end.  And  how  did  you  find  your  father  ? 
Doing  well,  I  hope,  from  your  joyous  looks,"  said  Er- 
minie, as  soon  as  she  could  put  in  a  word. 

"  Oh  !  yes,  the  old  boy's  all  right !  He's  got  his  right 
arm  in  a  sling,  and  a  plaster  on  both  cheeks,  and  a  patch 


THE    VETERAN'S    RETURN.  35 

over  his  left  eye — that's  all.  He's  not  fit  for  duty,  hut 
he  needn't  go  to  hed  hefore  a  healthy  Christian's  usual 
hour  of  retiring,"  answered  Elfie,  as  she  recovered  hei 
breath,  and  threw  herself  into  a  chair. 

"  But  how  soon  you  have  got  back ;  I  don't  understand 
it,"  said  Erminie,  returning  to  the  '  previous  question.' 

"  Don't  you?  Well  neither  do  I.  All  I  know  is  that  I 
came  very  near  passing  my  awful  old  responsibility  on  the 
road.  When  the  train  stopped  at  the  Relay  House — which 
you  know  used  to  be  a  comfortable  hotel,  but  is  now  turned 
into  something  between  military  head-quarters  and  a  bear 
garden — I  looked  out  of  the  window,  and  there,  as  sure  as 
you  live,  stood  my  pap,  with  a  lot  of  dilapidated  heroes  of 
the  rank  and  file,  on  the  platform.  I  had  just  time  to  jump 
off  the  car  before  the  train  started  again." 

"  Oh !  Elfie,  dear,  how  rash  to  jump  off  the  cars  just  as  the 
train  was  about  to  start !  "  exclaimed  Erminie. 

"  <  Eash ! }  Well,  I  like  that.  How  could  it  have  been 
rash?" 

"  You  might  have  been  killed." 

"  But  I  wasn't,  so  it  couldn't  have  been  rash.  If  I  had 
been  hurt,  then  you  might  have  called  it  rash ;  but  as  I 
wasn't,  you  can  only  call  it  fearless.  But  I  don't  want  to 
talk  of  myself,  but  of  my  ferocious  old  governor,  who  stood 
there  on  the  platform,  bloody,  dusty,  smoky,  bound,  band- 
aged and  plastered,  and  looking,  for  all  the  world,  like  a  dis- 
reputable old  prize-fighter  that  had  been  considerably  dam- 
aged in  the  ring." 

"  But  you  met  him — oh,  you  met  him  as  the  daughter  of 
a  hero  should  meet  her  wounded  father  ! "  exclaimed  Erminie 
with  enthusiasm. 

"  Which  means  that  I  wept  over  the  old  boy,  and  set  him 
to  weeping,  and  made  a  melting  scene  among  all  those 
Boldiers.  Not  much  I  didn't.  I  took  him  by  his  whole  arm, 
and  turned  him  round  and  round  until  I  had  inspected  him 
well,  and  then  I  said : 


36  HOWHEWONHER. 

"  Oh,  you  miserable  looking  old  pap.  I  don't  believe  you 
came  from  Gettysburg  or  any  other  gallant  battle-field.  I 
believe  you  are  fresh  from  a  fireman's  free  fight,  or  an  elec- 
tion riot,  where  the  pretensions  of  rival  candidates  are  can- 
vassed with  cudgels.  Where  have  you  been,  and  what 
doing,  to  get  yourself  so  dirty,  and  knocked  into  such  an 
old  cocked  hat  ?  " 

"  And  my  old  governor  laughed,  and  said  that  he  had 
been  in  a  dusty  place ;  that  it  was  very  dusty  at  Gettys- 
burg ;  and  that  shot  and  shell  were  flying  thick  and  fast. 

"  I  begged  him  to  have  the  largest  bath-tub  in  the  house 
filled  with  hot  water,  and  to  rub  himself  down  from  head 
to  foot  with  soft  soap  and  hard  towels,  and  put  himself  in 
soak  for  three  hours ;  and  I  gave  him  the  suit  of  clean 
under-clothes  that  I  had  brought  along  in  my  carpet  bag. 

"And  though  in  general  paps  are  very  disobedient 
persons,  yet  he  promised  to  obey  me,  and  he  kept  his  word 
so  far  as  to  take  a  good  bath,  while  I  got  up  a  good  dinner 
for  him  ;  and  I  must  confess  that  he  didn't  look  half  so 
badly  when  he  joined  me  at  the  dinner-table,  freshly 
washed  and  newly  clothed,  with  all  the  smuts  and  stains  I 
had  taken  for  bruises  and  gashes  cleansed  away.  But  if  all 
heroes  have  such  heroic  appetites  as  my  heroic  pap,  I.-don't 
wonder  famine  so  often  follows  war." 

Britomarte  laughed,  but  Erminie  said : 

"  Men  who  are  fighting  cannot  stop  to  feed.  He  must 
have  fasted  long." 

"  Long !  I  should  think  he  had  fasted  forty  days  and 
nights.  I  told  him  so  ;  and  he  answered  that  he  felt  '  hol- 
low.' And  I  couldn't  help  saying  as  I  carved  the  second 
fowl  for  him : 

" '  Pap,  I  know  next  to  nothing  about  anatomy  and 
physiology,  but  from  certain  indications  I  should  judge  you 
to  be  hollow  all  the  way  down  to  the  soles  of  your  boots." 

"  Oh,  Elfie !  how  could  you  ? "  exclaimed  Erminie. 
"  Have  you  no  veneration  at  all  ?  " 


THE    VETERAN'S    RETURN.  37 

"  Not  much.  I'm  afraid  there's  a  hole  where  that  bump 
ought  to  be.  But,  as  I  said  before,  I  don't  want  to  talk  of 
myself,  but  of  my  glorious  old  governor.  Well,  at  that 
dinner  we  had  a  sort  of  explanation  ;  for  you  may  be  sure, 
not  knowing  that  I  was  going  on  to  fetch  him,  he  was  as 
much  astonished  at  seeing  me  there  as  I  was  at  seeing  him. 
So  in  answer  to  his  questions,  I  told  him  that,  knowing  very 
well  he  wasn't  able  to  take  care  of  himself  even  in  the  best 
of  times,  I  had  started  out  with  the  intention  of  bringing 
him  home.  And  then  I  demanded  to  know  how  it  hap- 
pened that  he  should  be  loafing  about  the  Relay  House  in 
such  a  disrespectable  way ;  and  he  told  me  that,  feeling 
stiff  and  sore,  and  hungry  and  tired,  he  had  got  off  at  the 
Relay  House  with  the  intention  of  resting  for  the  night 
before  going  on  to  Washington.  And  then  the  old  fellow 
got  sentimental,  and  called  me  his  darling  child  and  his 
brave  girl ;  but  I  stopped  all  that  by  firing  off  at  him  the 
news  of  Britonia-rte's  and  Justin's  resurrection  from  a 
'  watery  grave.'  Girls,  it  did  him  more  good  than  all  the 
surgeon's  plasters,  and  even  the  bath  and  dinner.  He  felt 
better  immediately,  and  proposed  that  we  should  start  for 
Washington  by  the  evening  train  to  welcome  you  back. 
But  of  course  I  wouldn't  allow  that.  Instead  of  letting 
him  go  to  Washington,  I  made  him  go  to  bed,  and  carried 
him  a  cup  of  tea,  aii^J.  read  to  him  all  the  evening.  It  was 
the  full  account  of  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  in  the  morning 
paper." 

"But  he  must  have  know  all  about  that,"  put  in  Er- 
minie. 

"  Must  he,  then  ?  I  tell  you  he  was  in  the  thick  of  the 
fighting,  and  yet  he  knew  nothing  or  next  to  nothing 
of  it;  at  least  not  one-tenth  part  as  much  as  we  know, 
who  were  not  there,  yet  who  read  the  papers.  '  It  was  a 
dusty  place.  It  was  a  noisy  place.  Shot  and  shell  were  a 
flying  thick  and  fast.  I  was  struck  several  times,  but  we 

*.^ 


38  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

whipped  the  rebels  ! '  That  was  the  sum  and  substance  of 
all  the  information  I  could  gain  from  my  warlike  pap  about 
the  battle  ;  but  he  listened  to  the  Republican's  long  account 
of  it  with  the  deepest  interest,  and  fell  asleep  in  the  midst 
of  it.  I  let  him  sleep,  seeing  that  he  was  tired  out,  and 
knowing  that  we  would  have  to  continue  our  journey  in  the 
morning." 

"  But,  Elfie,  dear,  what  have  you  done  with  your  rather 
now  ?  Let  me  go  to  him  ;  he  must  feel  neglected." 

"  Oh,  no,  he  don't.  I  took  him  at  once  to  his  bed-room 
and  made  him  lie  down  and  rest ;  and  I  asked  Catherine 
to  take  him  up  a  glass  of  wine  and  some  biscuits.  He's 
all  right,  and  will  join  us  at  dinner.  And  now,  with  your 
good  leave,  I  will  go  to  my  room  and  get  a  little  of  this  dust 
and  smoke  out  of  my  eyes  and  nose  before  presenting  my- 
self to  the  Reverend  Justin  Rosenthal,"  said  Elfie,  rising. 

"  Then  come  to  us  in  the  drawing-room,  for  we  are  going 
down  there,"  said  Erminie. 

Elfie  nodded  assent,  and^then  flew  out  of  the  room,  sing- 
ing : 

"  We  are  coming,  Father  Abraham, 
Three  hundred  thousand  more." 

And  Erminie  and  Britomarte  went  down  stairs  to  the 
drawing-room,  where,  in  the  course  of  an  hour,  they  were 
joined  by  Elfie,  who  had  renovated  Jierself  with  a  fresh 
toilet. 

When  the  three  friends  were  seated  together,  Britomarte 
said: 

"  Here  are  three  of  our  school  quartette  ;  but  where  is 
the  fourth  ?  Where  is  Alberta  Goldsborough  ?  " 

"  Alberta  Corsoni,  you  mean ;  for  she  has  changed  her- 
self from  a  planter's  daughter  into  a  bandit's  bride,  or  a 
guerrilla's  bride,  which  amounts  to  the  same  thing,"  said 
Elfie. 

"  She  made  her  escape  from  the  convent,  and  eloped  with 


THE    VETERAN'S    RETURN  39 

Vittorio  Corsoni,  who  married  her  the  same  n:'ght,"    said 
Erminie. 

"  Yes  ;  and  he  was  a  good  fellow  enough  until  he  mar- 
ried her.  He  had  embraced  the  cause  of  the  Union  against 
the  rebels.  Some  people  said,  however,  that  he  did  so  only 
in  opposition  to  old  Mr.  Goldsborongh,  who  had  opposed  his 
union  with  Alberta.  However  that  may  be,  he  certainly 
was  a  Unionist  before  his  marriage.  But  it  seems  that 
Alberta  is  one  of  the  most  determined  female  rebels  that 
ever  lived ;  and  possessing  immense  influence  over  her 
love-sick  young  husband,  she  won  him  to  the  cause  of  re- 
bellion ;  so  that  now  he  is  one  of  the  most  formidable  of 
those  brigand  leaders  who  ravage  with  fire  and  sword" 
the  shores  of  the  Potomac  and  its  tributaries,"  said  Elfie. 

"  His  Italian  nature  took  readily  to  guerrilla  warfare," 
sighed  Erminie. 

"And  now  he  and  my  traitor  are  brother  bandits,  and 
the  best  friends  in  the  world.  When  either  has  made  a 
successful  raid,  he  divides  the  spoils  with  the  other," 
laughed  Elfie. 

"  But  what  a  condition  to  come  back  and  find  my  native 
country  in  !  It  seems  to  me  as  if  in  dream  or  trance  I  had 
lost  my  footing  in  the  nineteenth  century,  and  slipped 
down  into  the  tenth  ;  or  as  if  I  had  died,  and  my  spirit  had 
passed  into  another  state  of  existence.  This  Change  has 
come  gradually  upon  you,  but  upon  me  it  has  burst  like  a 
thunderbolt.  I  left  the  country  in  smiling  peace;  I  return 
to  find  it  groaning  under  all  the  horrors  of  civil  war,"  said 
Britomarte,  bowing  her  head  upon  her  hand  in  deep 
thought. 

"  Britty,  stop  that !  If  people  go  to  musing^now,  they 
go  mad !  It  is  a  time  to  act,  not  think ! "  said  Elfie, 
sharply. 

"  I  know  it — I  know  it — and  I  shall  act !  "  exclaimed  the 
beautiful  amazon. 


40  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

"  Britty,  there  is  one  piece  of  forbearance  for  which  I 
thank  you,"  said  Elfie,  by  way  of  changing  the  subject." 

"What  is  that  ?"  inquired  Miss  Conyers. 

"Well,  although  three  years  ago  you  warned  Erminie 
and  myself  that  if  we  should  have  anything  to  do  with  the 
1  natural  enemy '  we  should  inevitably  come  to  grief,  and  al- 
though you  see  that  through  disregarding  your  warning  we 
have  come  to  grief,  you  magnanimously  forbear  to  say — '  I 
told  you  so  ! '  " 

"  I  do  not  think  that  you  have.  I  call  the  treason  that 
divided  your  betrothed  lovers  from  your  side  a  very  provi- 
dential thing,  so  far  as  you  are  concerned.  I  can  mourn 
over  their  sins,  but  not  over  your  escape,"  said  the  man- 
hater,  firmly. 

"  Yet  it  hurt  some,  at  the  time,"  said  Elfie,  raising  her 
eyebrows  ;  "  though  I  wouldn't  admit  that  to  anybody  else 
but  yourself,  Britty,  it  did  hurt,  didn't  it,  Minie  ?  " 

Erminie  covered  her  face  with  her  hands,  and  wept 
softly. 

"  It  hurts  still,  you  see,"  whispered  Elfie.  "  Oh,  I  hope 
— I  do  hope — the  next  shell  that  flies  into  Charleston  will 
cut  that  fellow  in  two !  As  for  my  traitor,  being  a  guerrilla, 
I  trust  that  neither  shell  nor  shot  will  cheat  the  gallows  of 
its  dues."  And  Elfie  indignantly  dashed  away  the  tears 
that  dared  to  sparkle  in  her  own  eyes. 

"  I  am  a  very  weak  woman.  I  must  get  up  and  go  to 
the  hospital.  I  should  have  gone  an  hour  ago.  Brito- 
marte,  will  you  come  with  me  ?  "  said  Erminie,  rising,  and 
wiping  her  eyes. 

"  Yes,  with  pleasure,"  said  Miss  Conyers.  "  Do  you  go 
every  day  ?  " 

"  Twice  every  day,  in  order  to  visit  as  many  as  I  can.  I 
go  in  the  forenoon,  return  to  dinner,  and  then  go  again  in 
the  afternoon.  And,  after  all,  so  many  are  the  hospitals, 
and  so  thickly  are  they  crowded,  that  I  can  only  visit  each 


THE    VETERAN'S    RETURN.  41 

patient  about  twice  a  week,  and  then  how  I  wish  I  could  be 
in  twenty  wards  at  the  same  time.  You  must  help  me  in 
the  hospitals,  Britomarte  dear.  There  is  so  much  to  do. 
And  when  one  has  devoted  all  her  time  and  strength  and 
means  to  the  work,  and  happily  eased  the  sufferings  of 
some  scores,  there  are  hundreds  of  others  needing  the  same 
help." 

"  I  hope  all  our  women  are  doing  their  duty  in  this 
crisis,"  said  Miss  Conyers. 

"  They  are  doing  what  they  can ;  but  wives  and  mothers 
have  very  little  time,  and  very  little  means  either,  in  these 
war  days,  to  bestow  upon  the  poor  soldiers ;  and  young 
girls  are  generally  inadmissible  to  the  hospitals  except  at 
certain  stated  hours.  Me — for  some  reason  or  other,  per- 
haps for  my  respectable  black  dress  and  sedate  aspect — the 
surgeons  admit  at  any  hour.  And  heaven  has  blessed  me 
with  ample  means  and  ample  leisure  to  devote  to  the  sick 
and  wounded  soldiers." 

"Yours  is  an  angel's  mission,  my  Minie ;  and  you  are 
worthy  to  be  entrusted  with  it.  You  have  been  weighed  in 
the  balance,  and  not  found  wanting;  you  have  passed 
through  the  fiery  furnace  of  affliction,  and  come  forth  pure 
gold ;  you  have  been  tried  and  found  faithful ;  and  you 
have  been  called  to  a  much  higher  and  holier  destiny  than 
would  have  been  yours  as  the  wife  of " 

"  Oh,  don't !  don't,  Britomarte  !  "  exclaimed  Erminie, 
shrinking  even  from  this  light  touch  upon  her  unhealed 
wound. 

Then  reverting  to  the  subject  which  they  had  first 
spoken,  she  said : 

"  It  is  a  great  school  for  the  spirit — this  to  which  I  go. 
Volumes,  libraries  could  not  contain  its  lessons.  Let  one 
give  all  her  time,  strength  and  means  to  the  sufferers  there, 
and  she  will  still  receive  more — infinitely  more — than  she 
gives." 


42  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

"In -" 

"  In  the  examples  of  almost  superhuman  patience,  cheer- 
fulness and  fortitude  among  those  brave  men,  who,  wounded, 
mutilated,  agonized,  will  never  utter  a  complaint,  will  give 
you  smile  for  smile,  and  receive  with  thankfulness  any  little 
gift  the  surgeons  will  allow  you  to  offer  them.  Oh  !  how 
light  seem  my  own  troubles  when  I  look  upon  theirs  !  " 

"  We  may  judge  what  their  courage  in  the  fields  must 
have  been  by  their  fortitude  in  the  hospital,"  said  Miss  Con- 
yers. 

"  Oh,  Britomarte,  yes !  Ah  !  if  you  were  to  go  with  me 
on  my  rounds  among  these  true  heroes,  from  a  man-hater  you 
would  become  a  man- worshipper,  Britomarte.  And  then  the 
extremes  of  youth  and  age  that  we  find  there !  The  law 
has  limited  compulsory  military  service  to  the  men  between 
the  ages  of  eighteen  and  forty-five ;  but  tree  patriotism 
draws  no  such  line.  My  dear  father  was  sixty-one  years  ol  I 
when  he  fell  in  front  of  his  men  on  the  field  of  Manassas. 
In  one  regiment  that  I  know  of  there  was  a  grandfather  of 
sixty-three,  his  two  sons  of  forty  and  forty-two,  and  four 
grandsons  between  the  ages  of  thirteen  and  seventeen." 

"  That  was  glorious  !  "  exclaimed  Miss  Conyers,  with  en- 
thusiasm. 

"  And  Britomarte,  as  I  live,  I  found  in  the  Water's  Ware- 
House  Hospital  of  Georgetown,  a  boy  about  twelve  years  old, 
who  had  been  brought  in  among  the  last  lot  of  wounded 
from  the  battle-field  of  Manassas !  When  1  expressed 
astonishment  and  pity,  I  was  told  that  there  were  boys  of 
twelve  who  were  soldiers  of  the  line  !  And  since  then  I  have 
learned  beyond  all  question  that  such  is  the  fact ! " 

"  Oh,  Erminie  !  if  what  you  tell  me  is  true,  as  I  have  no 
doubt  that  it  is,  what  a  race  of  heroes  the  women  of  America 
have  brought  forth  ! "  exclaimed  Miss  Conyers,  with  all  the 
enthusiasm  of  her  soul  shining  in  her  eyes. 

"  I  thought  you  would  grow  into  a  man- worshipper,  Bri- 
tomarte," said  Erminie,  smiling. 


THE    VETERAN'S    RETURN.  43 

"  And  /  thought  she  would  contrive  to  turn  over  all  the 
glory  to  ths  women,  where,  of  course,  it  justly  belongs,  as 
she  has  done  !  "  exclaimed  Elfie,  saucily,  quoting — "  What  a 
race  of  heroes  the  women  of  America  have  brought  fortli ! " 

"  Come,  let  us  put  on  our  bonnets  and  go  to  the  Douglas 
Hospital,"  said  Erminie. 

But  just  at  that  moment  the  bell  rang,  and  the  next  in- 
stant the  door  opened  and  Justin  entered  the  drawing-room, 
accompanied  by  Lieutenant  Ethel. 

Elfie  sprang  up  to  greet  her  old  acquaintance,  but  dropped 
into  her  seat  again  on  seeing  a  stranger. 

Justin  advanced  and  warmly  shook  hands  with  his  little 
friend,  and  with  Britomarte,  and  then  he  brought  up  Lieu- 
tenant Ethel  and  presented  him  to  the  party. 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you,  sir  ;  and  I  have  to  thank  you 
very  earnestly  for  your  great  kindness  to  my  brother  and 
friends  in  their  extremity,"  said  Erminie. 

The  young  officer  bowed  lowly  before  the  beautiful,  pale 
girl,  who  thus  addressed  him,  and  he  replied : 

"  It  will  now  be  a  much  greater  pleasure  to  me  than  ever, 
to  remember  that  I  was  able  to  be  of  some  slight  service  to 
your  friends,  Miss  Rosenthal." 

"  I  trust  that  you  will  give  us  some  opportunity  of  prov- 
ing our  gratitude  to  you,  Mr.  Ethel.  My  brother  informs 
me  that  your  duties  will  detain  you  here  in  Washington  for 
some  days  or  weeks.  I  hope  that  you  will  gratify  us  by 
making  our  quiet  house  your  home  during  the  period  of  your 
stay,"  said  Erminie. 

"  A  thousand  thanks,  Miss  Rosenthal !  But  my  domes- 
tication in  this  lovely  home  would  be  much  too  great  a  tax 
upon  your  ki  ndness,  and  very  much  too  great  a  happiness 
for  my  merits,"  said  the  young  officer. 

"  I  assure  you  it  would  give  us  sincere  pleasure  to  have 
you,"  urged  Erminie. 

"  Ethel  shall  stay  just  where  he  is,  Erminie.     Give  your- 


44  HOWHEWONHER. 

self  no  further  trouble  to  press  him.  I  was  his  guest  for 
many  weeks,  and  he  shall  be  mine  for  many  days,  at  least. 
Oh,  I  haven't  consulted  him  on  the  subject.  I  knew  it  would 
be  useless.  I  ordered  his  man  Martin  to  pack  up  his  effects 
and  bring  them  over  here  this  afternoon.  So,  sister,  you 
may  have  a  room  made  ready  for  the  lieutenant,  and  a  ham- 
mock swung  somewhere  for  the  seaman — or  lacking  a  ham- 
mock, an  ordinary  cot  and  mattress  will  do,"  said  Justin. 

"  Oh,  Rosenthal,"  began  the  young  officer. 

"  Hold  your  tongue,  Ethel !  You're  not  on  your  quarter- 
deck now !  I'm  commander  of  this  ship,  and  I  mean  to  be 
obeyed  ! "  exclaimed  Justin. 

"  But  you  will  allow  me  to  say " 

"Not  a  syllable  against  dropping  your  anchor  in  this 
harbor." 

"  Well,  I  won't !  I  was  only  about  to  observe  that  I  used 
to  hear  Judith  threaten  her  '  gay  Tom '  to  make  him  do  as 
he  liked !  You  are  only  making  me  do  as  I  like,"  said  the 
young  lieutenant,  with  a  bow  to  Erminie. 

"  And  now  let  us  talk  about  something  else  !  Young  la- 
dies, this  is  a  great  holiday  !  To-night  there  is  to  be  a  bril- 
liant illumination,  in  honor  of  the  two  great  victories  of  Get- 
tysburg and  Vicksburg.  I  have  ordered  in  several  pounds 
of  wax-candles,  which,  when  they  come,  you  will  have  cut 
into  the  proper  lengths.  I  have  also  spoken  to  a  carpenter 
to  come  and  fix  holders  for  the  lights  at  the  windows.  You 
can  send  a  servant  with  him  through  the  rooms,"  said 
Justin. 


JUSTIN      ENLISTS. — ELF  IE     DRILLS.        45 

CHAPTEE  III. 

JUSTIN   ENLISTS. — ELFIE   DRILLS. 

Sound,  sound  the  clarion— fill,  fill  the  fife  I 

To  all  the  sensual  world  proclaim, 
One  crowded  hour  of  glorious  strife 

Is  worth  an  age  without  a  name ! 
'Twas  bustle  in  the  street  below— 
"Forward!  march  !  "  and  forth  they  go. 
Steeds  neigh  and  trample  all  around — 
Steel  rings,  spears  glitter,  trumpets  sound  !— SCOTT. 

YOUNG  Ethel  remained  the  honored  guest  of  the  old  par- 
sonage. He  had  been  relieved  of  the  command  of  the  Sea 
Scourge  and  promoted  to  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant,  and 
he  was  now  waiting  orders. 

Major  Maiding  also,  while  recovering  from  his  wounds, 
made  the  parsonage  his  home. 

But  neither  arguments  nor  entreaties  could  induce  Miss 
Conyers  to  profit  by  the  large-hearted  hospitality  of  the 
Rosenthals,  and  take  up  even  a  temporary  residence  under 
their  roof.  She  found  cheap  board  in  a  respectable  private 
family,  on  the  suburbs,  near  the  parsonage,  and  she  visited 
her  friends  very  often,  and  went  every  day  with  Erminie  to 
the  hospitals. 

Justin,  very  soon  after  his  return  home,  made  known  his 
intention  of  enlisting  as  a  private  soldier  in  the  army. 

This  announcement  filled  the  heart  of  his  sister  with  dis- 
may. All  the  latent  pride  in  the  gentle  bosom  of  the  Lu- 
theran minister's  meek  child  arose  in  arms.  In  her  own 
person,  so  deep  was  her  humility  of  love,  she  would  have 
stooped  to  the  most  menial  office  by  which  she  could  serve 
her  country,  or  one  of  its  lowliest  defenders ;  but  for  her 
idolized  brother  she  was  more  ambitious,  and  she  could  not 
endure  the  thought  of  the  hardships,  privations  and  humil- 
iations he  would  have  to  suffer  as  a  soldier  in  the  ranks. 

"  Do  try  to  get  a  captain's  commission  in  one  of  the  new 
regiments  now  being  filled  up.  You  and  your  friends  have 


46  HOW      HE     WON      HE  It. 

influence  enough  to  secure  one ;  you  know  it,  Justin,"  she 
urged. 

"  But,  my  Minie,  I  know  no  more  of  the  science  of  mili- 
tary tactics  than  I  do  of  the  art  of  alchemy,"  laughed  Jus- 
tin. 

"  What  of  that  ?  Are  not  lawyers'  clerks,  doctors'  hoys, 
counter-jumpers,  barhers,  har-tenders,  penny-a-liners,  and  all 
sorts  of  men,  who  know  no  more  of  the  science  of  war  than 
you  do,  daily  turned  into  commissioned  officers — captains, 
majors,  colonels,  and  even  brigadier- generals  ?  "  rather  im- 
patiently demanded  Erminie. 

"And  hence  the  defeats  that  attended  our  arms  during 
the  first  two  years  of  the  war.  No,  Erminie ;  I  am  not  so 
presumptuous  as  to  apply  for  even  a  second  lieutenancy, 
while  conscious  that  I  know  nothing  of  tactics,"  said  Justin, 
seriously. 

"  Oh,  hut  you  can  learn.  There  are  no  end  to  the  works 
on  military  tactics.  You  meet  them  staring  you  in  the 
face  from  every  bookseller's  window,  and  find  them  lumber- 
ing up  every  counter  where  the  new  novels  used  to  be  dis- 
played." 

"  I  don't  doubt  it." 

"  I  could  not  begin  to  tell  you  how  many  there  are  ;  but 
two  of  them  I  remember — Casey's  Infantry  Tactics  and 
Hardee's  ditto ;  each  in  three  pretty  volumes,  that  look  for 
all  the  world  like  song-books — little  mites  of  volumes, 
that  a  hard  student  like  you  could  master  in  a  week." 

"  I  dare  say,"  said  Justin,  smiling  ;  "  and  at  the  end  vof 
a  week  I  should  be  very  competent  to  drill  a  company, 
manoeuvre  a  regiment,  or  fight  a  battle — on  paper  !  " 

"  Oh,  nonsense,  brother  !  don't  be  sarcastic.  I  tell  you  it 
is  all  easy  enough.  I  began  reading  the  first  volume  of 
Hardee  myself,  and  I  assure  you  I  feel  equal  to  the  simple 
regimental  drill.  Now  do,  Justin,  study  tactics  for  an  ex- 
amination for  a  ( aptain's  commission  in  one  of  the  new  regi- 
ments." 


JUSTIN      ENLISTS  . — E  LFIE     DRILLS.      47 

"  My  good  little  sister,  tactics  cannot  be  learned  from 
books  comfortably  conned  in  the  chimney  corner.  They 
must  be  learned  on  the  parade  ground  and  on  the  battle- 
field." 

"  But  I  cannot  bear  that  you,  with  your  scholarly  intellect 
and  refined  habits  should  be  a  common  soldier,  Justin !  I 
cannot  bear  it !  "  said  Erminie,  almost  ready  to  cry. 

"  My  Minie  !  for  ages  to/come  the  children  of  the  '  ccmmon 
soldiers  '  who  fight  in  this  war  for  the  Union  will  look  back 
upon  their  forefathers  with  more  just  pride  than  ever  did  the 
sons  of  kings  upon  their  royal  ancestry." 

"  I  know  it,  Justin  !  But,  in  the  meantime,  the  associa- 
tion !  Why,  the  rank  and  file  of  our  army  are  made  up  of 
all  sorts  of  men  !  "  pleaded  Erniinie. 

"  My  sister,  your  experience  among  the  wounded  soldiers 
in  the  hospitals  must  have  taught  you  that  there  are  as  noble 
men  and  true  gentlemen  in  the  rank  and  file  of  our  army  as 
any  that  ever  wore  the  stars  of  a  major-general,"  said  Jus- 
tin, very  gravely. 

"  I  know  it !  oh,  I  know  it !  Heaven  forgive  me  for  my 
pride  ;  for  while  you  spoke  I  thought  of  Grandison,  a  French- 
man, who  died  after  many  months  of  suffering  in  the  Trinity 
Church  hospital  in  Georgetown.  He  was  one  of  the  most 
accomplished  scholars  and  polished  gentlemen  I  ever  met 
anywhere,  not  even  excepting  his  countrymen  the  Orleans 
princes  whom  I  met  at  the  President's  reception.  Heaven 
forgive  me  for  saying  anything  in  disparagement  of  the 
common  soldier  ! "  said  Erminie,  meekly,  as  her  brown 
eyes  filled  with  tears  at  the  remembrance  of  the  dying 
soldier  whose  death-bed  she  had  smoothed. 

"  And  you  will  oppose  my  plan  no  longer,  my  sister  ?  " 
inquired  Justin,  caressing  her. 

"  No  longer,"  she  murmured  in  reply. 

So  Justin  went  and  enlisted  in  a  new  regiment  that  was 
being  formed  to  go  into  active  service. 


48  HOWHEWONHER. 

And  his  sister  saw  no  more  of  him  for  a  week,  at  the 
end  of  which  he  re-appeared  at  the  parsonage  with  his 
fine  auburn  hair  cropped  close  to  his  head  and  surmounted 
by  the  soldier's  cap,  and  his  athletic  form  displayed  to 
the  very  best  advantage  in  the  round  blue  jacket  and 
trowsers  of  the  private's  uniform. 

The  three  young  ladies  were  alone  in  the  drawing-room 
when  he  was  ushered  in  in  this  dress. 

Half  laughing  and  half  crying,  Erminie  sprang  to  wel- 
come him. 

With  visible  emotion  Britomarte  also  offered  him  her 
hand. 

And  Elfie  openly  expressed  her  opinion  : 

"  Justin,  you  were  cut  out  for  a  common  soldier !  I 
never  saw  you  look  so  well  in  my  life.  But  then  the  close- 
fitting  ^miform  of  a  private  certainly  does  show  off  '  a  fine 
figure  oPa  man/  as  no  other  dress  in  the  world  could. 
Somehow  or  other,  I  think  of  a  gladiator,  and  of  an  Apollo, 
and  the  Colossus  of  Rhodes,  when  I  look  at  you  in  that 
tight  fit,  Mr.  Rosenthal." 

"  Miss  Fielding,  I  am  your  slave  and  your  knight. 
Were  it  permitted  in  the  ranks,  I  would  pin  your  glove 
upon  my  cap  for  a  feather  and  bear  it  through  the  battle- 
field to  certain  victory ! "  said  Justin,  laughing  and  bow- 
ing. 

"  No,  don't !  Britomarte  would  put  a  spider  in  my 
dumplin ! " 

"  ELFIE  !  "  indignantly  exclaimed  Miss  Conyers. 

"  You  know  you'd  poison  me  if  I  should  dare  to — hem — 
be  a  friend  of  Justin's !  Oh,  I  know  !  I've  read  the  story 
of  the  dog  in  the  manger !  how  the  dog  couldn't  eat  the 
hay  and  wouldn't  let  the  heifer  eat  it !  "  laughed  the  girl. 

"You  are  privileged  to  jest  roughly,  I  suppose,"  said 
Miss  Conyers,  coldly. 

"I   know   I   am,"     admitted    Elfie— " privileged   to  do 


JUSTIN      ENLIST  S. E  L  F  I  E     DRILLS.        49 

everything  but  flirt  with  Justin.  If  I  was  to  dare  to  do 
that — hush,  girls  !  you  know  how  Britty  can  hate  men,  but 
you  will  never  know  how  she  can  hate  women  until  some 
unlucky  woman  gives  Justin  her  glove  to  wear  in  bis  cap ! 
— Mercy  !  there,  I've  done  ! "  exclaimed  Elfie,  shrinking 
from  Britomarte's  flashing  eyes.  "  And  now  we'll  change 
the  subject.  Justin,  mon  brave  !  you  look  very  clean  and 
very  nice ;  your  tight  suit  is  such  a  clear  bright  blue,  and 
your  shirt-collar  is  as  white  as  the  driven  snow ;  but, 
Justin,  mon  ami,  can  you  keep  clean  over  there  in  camp  ? 
that  is  the  question  !  or,  when  you  come  to  see  us,  shall  we 
have  to  put  you  in  soak  over  night  before  we  can  breakfast 
with  you  next  morning  ?  " 

"  The  river  flows  below  our  fort,  and  ihe  sutlers  keep  a 
good  supply  of  brown  soap  and  crash  towels,  so  I  have 
hopes  to  be  able  to  keep  out  of  the  category  ofihe  (  un- 
washed ! '  "  said  the  volunteer. 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  it.  For  as  far  as  my  observa- 
tion goes,  there  seems  to  be  the  most  intimate  relationship, 
and  an  inevitable  connection,  between  dirt  and  glory. 
Why,  even  my  pap,  in  speaking  of  the  victorious  field  of 
Gettysburg,  could  only  describe  it  as  a  'very  dusty' 
place." 

As  Justin  was  obliged  to  be  back  at  his  camp  before  the 
hour  of  "  tattoo,"  he  could  stay  but  a  few  minutes  with  his 
friends.  He  soon  arose,  took  an  affectionate  leave  of  them, 
and  went  away. 

After  this  they  saw  but  little  of  him  at  the  parsonage. 

And  when  Erminie  wished  to  see  her  brother,  she  had  to 
get  a  pass  from  the  provost  marshal's  office,  and  cross  the 
river,  and  visit  him  in  camp,  in  one  of  the  forts  of  the  lines 
forming  the  southern  defences  of  Washington. 

All  this  time  Major  Fielding  passed  his  days  reclining  in 
an  easy  chair  under  the  shade  of  the  vine-wreathed  porch, 
reading,  smoking,  and  recruiting  his  strength. 

a 


50  HO  WHEW  ON      HER. 

Young  Ethel  went  every  day  to  the  Navy  Department, 
with  which  he  seemed  to  have  a  great  deal  of  business. 

Britomarte  and  Erminie  went  daily  to  the  hospitals,  with 
kind  words  and  good  gifts  to  the  soldiers. 

And  what  was  Elfie  doing  ?  For  one  thing,  she  was 
making  great  havoc  in  the  heart  of  the  young  lieutenant, 
who  had  been,  from  the  first,  fascinated  by  her  elfin  charms, 
and  for  another  thing,  by  the  mysteriousness  and  eccen- 
tricity of  her  appearance  and  deportment,  she  was  exciting 
all  manner  of  disagreeable  conjectures  concerning  herself 
among  her  surrounding  friends. 

She  was  not  encouraging  her  young  adorer  ;  far  from  it, 
she  Was  snubbing  him  in  the  most  contemptuous  manner 
possible,  by  either  ignoring  his  offered  attentions  entirely,  or 
else  repelling  them  carelessly,  as  she  would  have  brushed  off 
a  troublesome  fly. 

She  grew  moody,  silent  and  unsocial.  She  studied  Casey's 
Tactics  all  day  long,  except  for  an  hour  in  the  morning, 
which  she  spent  in  drilling.  She  borrowed  her  father's  rifle, 
and  went  through  the  exercises  with  it,  while  the  quiet 
drawing-room  of  the  parsonage  echoed  with  "  the  accents  of 
an  unknown  tongue." 

"  Shoale-dore — HUMS  !     Pre-sent — HUMS  !      Shoale-dore 

HUMS !" 

"For you  see,  Britty,  I  notice  that  the  drill  officer  on  pa- 
rade don't  say  '  shoulder,'  but  l  shoale-dore  ! '  nor  '  arms,' 
but  '  hums  ! '  and  I  want  to  be  right  by  drill  and  not  dic- 
tionary," Elfie  explained  to  Miss  Conyers,  who  sat  watching 
her  performance  in  amazement. 

"  But  Elfie,  my  dear,  why  do  you  go  through  all  this  !  " 
she  inquired. 

"Don't  you  wish  I'd  tell  you?"  mocked  Elfie,  trailing 
arms  and  panting  for  breath. 

"  Yes,  I  do  ! "  said  Miss  Conyers,  gravely. 

"But  I  won't. — Dear  me,  this  rifle  is  very  heavy,"  said 


JUSTIN      ENLISTS. — EL  FIE     DRILLS.       51 

Elfie,  as  she  set  the  arms  up  in  a  corner,  and  threw  herself 
into  an  easy  chair  to  recover  her  breath  ;  "  I  do  wonder  why 
the  government  don't  have  lighter  ones  made,  such  as  might 
be  handled  easily  by  a  boy  of  fifteen — " 

"Or  a  girl  of  twenty,"  murmured  Britomarte,  looking 
wistfully  at  Major  Fielding's  daughter. 

" — I  am  sure  they  have  enough  of  such  boys  in  the 
army — " 

" — And  a  few  of  such  girls,"  murmured  Miss  Conyers 
thoughtfully. 

"  And  I  don't  wonder  the  poor  lads  drop  exhausted  on  the 
inarch,  carrying  such  heavy  rifles." 

"  Or  that  the  poor  lasses  sometimes  break  down  and  get 
found  out." 

"  I  wish  to  goodness  they  would  make  lighter  ones  ;  I'm 
sure  it  would  pay  to  do  it." 

"  So  do  I ;  I  think  so,  too,"  murmured  Miss  Conyers. 

"  Britomarte,  why  do  you  sit  there  whispering  to  yourself 
like  a  wicked  enchantress  muttering  her  incantations? 
What  are  you  saying  or  thinking  ?  "  irritably  questioned 
Elfie. 

"  I  am  thinking,  Elfie,  from  what  I  see,  that  you  are  con- 
templating enlistment ;  and  Elfie,  I  will  not  be  the  one  to 
discourage  you  provided  you  have  your  father's  consent," 
said  Miss  Conyers,  earnestly. 

"  Yes ;  but  I  haven't  got  it,  and  I  couldn't  get  it.  At 
the  mere  mention  of  the  thing  the  dear  old  boy  raised  such 
a  row  as  never  was.  Blest  if  I  didn't  think  he'd  raise  the 
other  Old  Boy  from  the  place  below,  you  know.  No, 
Britty,  I  am  not  dreaming  of  enlisting." 

"Well,  then,  what  are  you  dreaming  of?" 

"  Ah,  wouldn't  you  like  to  know  ?  " 

"  Indeed  I  should.     What  is  it,  Elfie  ?  " 

"  Why,  that's  the  mystery ;  but  it  may  come  out  in  a  few 
days,  as  the  doctor  said  of  the  measles,  or  the  cat  of  the 
mouse,  I  forget  which." 


52  HOWHEWONHER. 

"Elfie,  what  are  you  talking  of,  love?  Mystery, 
measles,  mouse — what  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"When  does  the  draft  come  off?"  inquired  Elfie,  with- 
out answering  Britomarte's  question. 

"  Next  week." 

"  Then  next  week  you  will  find  out  what  I  mean." 

"How?" 

"  That's  all." 

And  that  was  all,  for  not  another  word  of  explanation 
could  Britomarte  get  from  Elfie. 

The  next  morning  after  this  conversation,  Justin  paid 
one  of  his  rare  visits  to  the  parsonage. 

He  informed  his  sister  that  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank 
of  corporal,  and  laughingly  pointed  to  the  chevrons  on  his 


Major  Fielding,  who  was  much  hetter,  and  was  expecting 
to  he  ordered  to  his  regiment,  chuckled  as  he  congratulated 
Corporal  Rosenthal. 

"  Your  promotion  is  the  second  step  up  the  ladder  of 
military  fame,  on  which  your  enlistment  was  the  first  step. 
And  let  me  remind  you,  my  hoy,  that  half  the  greatest 
generals  the  world  has  ever  known  were  men  who  rose  from 
the  ranks.  Why,  Lord  hless  my  soul,  hoy,  I  myself  en- 
listed as  a  private  soldier,  and  see  where  I  am  now,"  said 
the  major,  with  a  little  pardonable  egotism. 

"  Good  gracious,  pap,  that  was  two  years  ago  !  If  Justin 
rises  no  faster  than  you  did,  the  war  will  he  over  hefore  he 
is  a  drill  sergeant,"  said  Elfie. 

"  Yes  ;  but  he  will  rise  faster,  daught'.  Young  men  can 
rise  faster,  as  well  as  run  faster,  than  old  ones.  You  see 
with  me  there  were  drawbacks,  daught'.  For  one  thing,  I 
wasn't  tip-top  at  the  double-quick  !  " 

"  Except  in  retreat,  pap  ! " 

"  Hush,  you  saucy  imp  !  " 

"But,  in  any  case,"  sighed  Erminie,  "Justin's  promo- 
tion must  be  very  tedious." 


JUSTIN      ENLISTS. — ELFIE     DRILLS.        53 

"Not  at  all,"  said  the  major.  "  He  will  rise  as  fast  as  he 
learns.  A  young  man  like  our  volunteer  here  is  not  going 
to  be  overlooked  in  the  lines.  He  will  be  promoted  as  fast 
as  possible.  The  regiment  is  not  filled  up  yet,  you  know. 
New  companies  are  being  formed.  And  I  will  guarantee, 
before  the  regiment  marches,  Justin  will  have  received  his 
captain's  commission." 

"  Heaven  send  it !  "  aspirated  Erminie. 

"Dear  sister,  and  good  friends,"  said  Justin,  earnestly, 
"  I  beg  you  to  understand  that  I  did  not  enter  the  army  to 
seek  my  own  advancement,  but  to  do  my  duty  to  my 
country." 

"  I  know  that,  Justin,"  said  Erminie — "  know  it  well ; 
but " 

"  Advancement  will  be  your  destiny  whether  you  seek  it 
or  not,"  said  the  major. 

As  time  was  up,  and  Justin  had  to  be  back  in  camp  by 
the  evening  roll  call,  he  took  leave  of  his  sister  and  friends 
and  departed. 

The  prophecies  of  Major  Fielding  were  fulfilled.  Justin 
rose  rapidly  from  the  ranks.  The  next  ti'me  he  visited  his 
sister,  he  wore  the  badge  of  a  sergeant  upon  his  sleeves. 
And  he  delighted  Erminie  with  the  announcement  that  the 
colonel  of  his  regiment  had  notified  him  that  he  should 
have  a  lieutenant's  commission  in  a  company  that  was  then 
being  formed  of  new  recruits,  and  had  also  hinted  at  still 
further  advancement. 


54  HOW      HEWON      HER 


CHAPTER  IV. 
THE  SOLDIER'S  LOVE. 

"Tis  often  in  the  parting  hour, 
Victorious  love  asserts  his  power 

O'er  coldness  and  disdain  ; 
For  flinty  is  her  heart  can  view 
To  battle  march  her  lover  true. 
Can  hear  perchance  his  last  adieu, 
Nor  own  her  share  of  pain  —  WALTBB  SCOTT. 

AT  length  the  draft  commenced,  and  the  city  was  in  a 
pretty  state  of  excitement.  There  were  hundreds  of  youths 
who  had  been  withheld  by  the  authority  of  parents  or  the 
persuasions  of  friends  from  volunteering,  but  who  were  now 
in  great  hopes  of  being  drafted  and  "  made  to  do  as  they 
liked."  And  there  were  hundreds  of  men  whose  health 
had  never  been  known  to  suffer  before,  but  who  now  sud- 
denly fell  ill  of  grievous  disorders.  Never  —  no,  never  since 
the  cholera  of  '32,  had  the  city  been  so  sickly.  Never  were 
so  many  people  at  one  time  affected  with  so  many  aches 
and  pains.  It  was  as  if  Pandora's  box  had  been  then  and 
there  opened  for  the  first  time,  and  all  the  maladies  to 
which  flesh  is  heir  had  been  sown  broadcast  over  the  dis- 
trict. And  never  had  there  been  such  deplorable  destitu- 
tion ;  never  so  many  only  grandmothers,  widowed  mothers, 
orphaned  sisters  and  motherless  children  dependent  upon 
men  for  support. 

But  what  else  could  be  expected  ? 

All,  or  nearly  all,  the  heroes  had  volunteered  long  before 
the  enrollment  ;  and  the  men  who  did  not  were  either  serv- 
ing humanity  in  some  other  way,  or  else  lacked  the  power 
or  the  will  to  serve  their  country. 

But  in  all  the  excited  multitude  not  one  was  more  ex- 
cited than  our  Elfie. 

Every  morning  when  the  paper  came,  she  was  the  first  to 
seize  it  ;  and  she  would  let  her  coffee  grow  cold  while  she 


THE    SOLDIER'S    LOVE.  55 

read  out  the  list  of  drafted  men  to  the  company  at  the 
Lreakfast  table. 

And  011  the  day  on  which  the  draft  for  her  sub-district 
was  to  come  off,  Elfie  was  very  nearly  beside  herself.  She 
could  not  be  easy  for  one  moment.  She  rambled  all  over 
the  house  and  grounds  in  the  most  restless  manner.  She 
drilled  a  little  while,  and  then  she  threw  aside  her  rifle  and 
rc-coinmenced  her  rambles.  She  bought  every  edition  of 
the  evening  papers,  extras  and  all,  and  read  the  list  of  the 
drafted  men ;  but  at  the  very  latest  issue  the  list  was  in- 
complete, and  Elfie  was  discontented. 

In  the  morning  she  was  the  first  one  down  stairs,  watch- 
ing for  the  early  paper.  It  came,  and  the  list  was  complete. 
But  on  this  occasion,  for  the  first  time,  Elfie  omitted  to 
read  it  aloud,  and  apparently  no  one  had  interest  enough  in 
the  subject  to  try  their  eyes  over  the  diamond  type.  But 
Elfie,  who  had  been  insane  herself  with  anxiety  on  the  pre- 
ceding day,  seemed  mad  with  exultation  on  this.  She 
laughed  at  every  tiling  and  at  nothing.  She  sang  and 
danced  all  over  the  house,  and  drilled  more  than  ever. 

"  Really,  Elfie,"  said  Erminie,  "  one  would  think  that 
yesterday  you  had  been  in  an  agony  of  suspense  lest  some 
favorite  brother  or  friend  should  be  drafted,  and  that  to-day 
you  are  in  an  ecstacy  of  joy  on  perceiving  -that  he  has 
escaped.  What  ails  you  dear  ?  " 

"  Never  mind,  you'll  soon  see. 

'  We  are  coming,  Father  Abraham, 
Five  hundred  thousand  more,' " 

replied  Elfie,  singing  and  dancing  out  of  the  room. 

In  two  or  three  days  they  did  know.  It  was  one  morning 
after  breakfast. 

Major  Fielding  had  walked  out  for  the  first  time  since  he 
was  wounded. 

Miss  Conyers  had  just  dropped  in  for  a  morning  call. 

Erminie,  Elfie,  Britomarte  and  Lieutenant  Ethel  were 


56  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

assembled  in  the  drawing-room,  discussing  the  one  great 
topic  of  the  day,  the  very  last  battle,  when  there  came  a  ring 
at  the  bell,  followed  by  the  entrance  of  Uncle  Bob,  bringing 
a  large,  formidable-looking  letter,  and  gazing  around  in  per- 
plexity, as  doubting  to  whom  to  deliver  it. 

"  Penny  pos',  Miss,"  he  said  at  length,  appealing  to 
the  young  mistress  of  the  house. 

But  Elfie  sprang  up  and  darted  past  everyone,  and  seized 
the  letter,  exclaiming : 

"  It  is  for  me  ! " 

"  For  you,  Elfie  ?  That  letter !"  said  Erminie,  in  incred- 
ulous surprise. 

"  Yes ;  if  you  doubt  it  look  at  it !  "  replied  Elfie,  triumph- 
antly, turning  the  back  of  the  letter  to  the  whole  group,  so 
that  each  one  could  read  its  superscription. 

It  was  a  long,  large,  yellow  envelope,  bearing  on  its  upper- 
right-hand  corner  the  words  :  PKOVOST  MARSHAL'S  OF- 
FICE. Official  Business.  Directed  to  Sydney  Fielding. 

And  exclamations  of  wonder  broke  from  all  present. 

"  It  cannot  be  for  you,  Elfie.  It  is  from  the  Provost  Mar- 
shal's office,  and  on  official  business.  You  can  have  no 
official  business  with  the  Provost  Marshal,  my  dear,"  said 
Erminie. 

"Can'tl?"  mocked  Elfie. 

"  But  what  business  can  you  have  ?  " 

"  You'll  hear  presently — 

We  are  coming!  we  are  coming'  our  Union  to  restore >" 

"Elfie,  dear,  do  stop  singing,  and  be  reasonable.  This 
letter  is  directed  to  Sydney  Fielding.  There  must  be  a  mis- 
take. Sydney  Fielding ! " 

"  Well,  what  is  my  name  ?  Isn't  it  Elfrida  Sydney  Field- 
ing !" 

"Yes;  but " 

"  Just  so.      The  Elfrida's  left  out.     I  had  it  left  out  on 


THE    SOLDIER'S    LOVE.  57 

purpose.  Not  that  I  intend  to  claim  exemption  on  that  ac- 
count, like  the  poltroon  Jonson,  who  tried  to  get  off  on  the 
ground  that  the  enrolling  officer  had  spelt  his  name  wrong? 
naturally  writing  it  'Johnson.'  This  summons  is  directed  to 
Sydney  Fielding,  which  means  me,  Elfrida  Sydney  Fielding, 
since  there  is  no  other  Sydney  Fielding  in  existence,  and  I 
shall  respond  to  it." 

"  Summons  !  Enrolling  officer !  Whatever  do  you 
mean,  Elfie  ?  "  inquired  Erminie,  in  growing  amazement, 
which  was  fully  shared  by  young  Ethel. 

As  for  Britomarte,  she  seemed  to  know,  or  guess,  the 
meaning  of  the  whole  affair. 

"  Wait  a  minute ! "  said  Elfie,  breaking  the  broad  seal, 
and  reading  the  letter,  which  was  half  print  and  half  manu- 
script. 

Her  companions  watched  her  impatiently. 

"  I  knew  it ! "  she  exclaimed,  jumping  up  and  singing  : 
"  '  We  are  coming,  we  are  coming,  our  Union  to  restore  ! '  " 

"  Oh,  Elfie  !  Elfie  !  are  you  quite  distracted  ?  "  exclaimed 
Erminie,  in  distress. 

"  No,  my  dear,  I  am  not  '  distracted  ; '  I  am  only  draft- 
ed!" said  Elfie. 

"  Drafted !  "  exclaimed  all,  in  a  breath. 

"  Yes,  drafted,  friends  and  fellow  citizens  I  " 

"  Elfie,  you  are  crazed,"  said  Erminie. 

"  No,  not  '  crazed ' — conscripted  !  You  always  hit  upon 
the  right  initial,  but  not  on  the  right  word  !  "  replied  Elfie. 

"  You  do  not  mean  to  say,  in  sober  earnest,  that  you  are 
drafted,  Miss  Fielding  ?  Such  a  thing  was  never  heard  of! 
Women  have  enlisted,  and  have  served ;  but  always  when 
•disguised  as  men.  I  never  in  my  life  heard  of  a  woman  be- 
ing drafted.  Such  an  event  would  be  impossible,"  said  Lieu- 
tenant Ethel. 

"  '  Impossible  ! '  Lor !  "  mocked  Elfie.  "  Are  you  so 
young  and  green  as  not  to  know  impossible  things  constant- 
ly happen  ?  And  here  is  the  proof  in  black  and  white." 


58  HOWHEWONHER. 

"  If  that  document  is  the  official  summons  of  a  drafted 
man,  it  proves  beyond  a  doubt  that  it  was  never  intended  for 
you,"  urged  the  young  officer. 

"  For  whom  then  ?  "  mockingly  inquired  Elfie. 

"Why,  of  course,  for  some  individual  who  was  enrolled 
under  that  name." 

"  All  right  I  I  was  the  individual  enrolled  under  that 
name." 

"  You,  Elfie  ! "  exclaimed  all  her  companions,  in  a  breath. 

"Yes — I,  Elfie.  Now,  if  you  will  all  stop  exclaiming 
and  gesticulating,  I'll  explain." 

"Do  so,  then." 

"  Well,  you  know,  last  June,  when  the  enrolling  officers 
were  going  round  ?  " 

"Yes,"  said  Erminie. 

"  The  day  they  came  here  no  one  was  at  home  but  myself 
and  the  servants.  You,  Erminie,  were  at  the  hospitals,  and 
my  pap  was  with  General  Hooker.  So  I  was  keeping  house 
that  morning,  when  there  came  a  peremptory  ring  at  the 
bell.  Old  Bob,  as  usual,  answered  it,  and  then  came  to  me 
with  a  scared  face,  saying  there  were  two  '  ossifer  gemmen' 
at  the  door,  asking  for  the  head  of  the  family." 

"  Well  ?  " 

"  I  was  the  vice-head,  and  so  I  went  out  to  see  what  was 
wanted.  There  stood  the  two  enrolling  officers,  with  the  big 
books  and  stumpy  pens.  I  knew  what  they  were  at  a  glance. 
They  looked  tired  and  heated  that  warm  summer  day,  so  I 
invited  them  to  sit  down  and  rest  in  that  cool,  shady  porch, 
which  they  did  ;  when  this  sort  of  talk  came  off : 

" '  How  many  male  adults  are  there  belonging  to  this 
house  ? '  inquired  the  spokesman. 

" '  Three  or  four  in  all,'  I  said. 

"  '  Name  them  if  you  please.' 

" '  First,  then,  there  is  the  Reverend  Justin  Eosenthal.' 

"  He  began  to  take  that  name  down. 


THE    SOLDIER'S    LOVE.  59 

" '  But  then  he  sailed  for  India  two  years  ago,  and  it  is 
feared  he  is  lost  at  sea/  I  went  on. 

"  He  staj^ed  his  hand,  and  looked  annoyed,  but  then 
said: 

"  <  Go  on.     Who  else  ? ' 

« '  Well,  then  there  is  Benoni  Fielding.' 

"  Away  he  went  scribbling  at  that  name. 

"  '  He  is  with  General  Hooker's  army/  I  continued. 

"  He  snatched  up  his  hand  impatiently,  exclaiming  : 

"  '  Then  of  course  we  don't  want  his  name.     Who  else  ? ' 

"  '  Eobert  Snowflake,'  I  answered. 

"  Off  he  started  scribbling  again. 

" '  He  is  an  African  gentleman,  aged  seventy,  the  same 
old  man  who  opened  the  door  for  you,  I  added. 

"Again  his  hand  was  arrested,  and  he  inquired,  half 
angrily : 

" '  Well,  is  there  any  one  else  in  the  house  ?  ' 

" '  Yes,'  I  said — '  there  is  Sydney  Fielding.' 

" ( Well,  before  I  take  that  name  down  I  must  be  sure 
that  he  is  not  lost  at  sea.' 

"  '  No,'  I  answered. 

"  '  Nor  serving  with  General  Hooker  ?  ' 

"'No.' 

"  '  Nor  yet  an  African  gentleman  aged  seventy  ? ' 

"  '  No,'  I  assured  him ;  ( Sydney  Fielding  is  at  present  at 
home,  and  not  in  the  service,  is  white,  is  twenty  years  old, 
and  sound  in  mind  and  body. 

" '  He'll  do,  then,  beyond  the  least  doubt ! '  exclaimed  the 
enrolling  officer,  entering  the  name  of  Sydney  Fielding  on 
his  list.  Then  he  inquired  : 

"  '  Is  there  any  other  male  adult  in  the  house  ?  ' 

"  I  answered,  '  No — not  one.' 

"  And  he  shut  up  his  book,  and  asked  me  the  favor  of  a 
cool  drink  of  water,  which  Uncle  Bob  brought  him.  When 
he  and  his  companion  had  drank  their  fill,  they  thanked 


60  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

me  and  went  away.  And  that's  all,"  said  Elfie,  with,  a 
sigh  of  relief. 

"  Well,  I  declare  I  never  heard  such  a  story  in  my  life  !  " 
exclaimed  Erminie,  while  Lieutenant  Ethel  looked  grave, 
and  Britomarte  seemed  amused. 

"Now  see  here,  friends,"  said  Elfie,  as  if  she  were  upon 
her  defence,  "  I  told  no  fibs  to  the  enrolling  officer — not 
one.  If  he  enrolled  me  it  was  all  his  doings,  not  mine. 
You  know  they  are  a  very  suspicious  set,  those  enrollers. 
They  are  always  suspecting  us  of  suppressing  the  name  of 
some  favorite  friend  or  relative,  to  keep  him  from  catching 
cold  in  the  draft." 

"  They  have  often  just  cause  for  suspicion,"  said  young 
Ethel. 

"  Be  that  as  it  may,  these  officers  must  have  suspected 
me  of  suppressing  some  name.  For  when  I  had  cited  every 
male  creature  belonging  to  the  premises,  he  persisted  in  in- 
quiring if  there  was  '  any  one  else  ? '  Mind,  he  didn't 
say  any  man,  but  any  '  one.'  So  I  was  able  to  answer, 
'  Yes,  there  was  Sydney  Fielding.'  And  thinking  only  of 
men,  he  took  it  for  granted  that  Sydney  Fielding  was  the 
name  of  a  man,  and  enrolled  it  accordingly." 

"  It  was  a  practical  joke  on  your  part,  of  course,  Elfie, 
but  you  can  carry  it  no  farther.  You  will  either  take  no 
notice  of  this  summons,  or  you  will  get  your  father  to  take 
it  up  to  the  Provost  Marshal's  office  and  explain,"  said  Er- 
minie, gravely. 

"Indeed  I  shall  do  neither  one  nor  the  other.  I  shall 
just  obey  the  summons  by  walking  up  to  the  Provost  Mar- 
shal's office  and  reporting  myself." 

"Oh,  Elfie!  Elfie!  But  your  father  will  never  pern.a 
you  to  take  such  an  extraordinary  step,"  exclaimed  Errniniu 
in  dismay. 

"  I  shan't  stop  to  consult  him.  I  shall  promptly  obey 
peremptory  orders.  I  shall  go  up  and  report  for  duty.  I 


THE    SOLDIER'S    LOVE.  61 

have  been  regularly  enrolled,  regularly  drafted,  and  I  shall 
regularly  report." 

"  Oh,  Elfie  !  Elfie  !  how  shocking !  " 

"  Why,  see  here.  I  must.  I  don't  come  under  any  one 
of  the  heads  of  exemption.  I  know  that  much.  I  am  not 
an  alien,  nor  an  invalid,  nor  an  idiot.  I  am  not  under 
eighteen  or  over  forty-five.  I  am  neither  the  only  son  of  my 
grandmother,  nor  am  I  the  father  of  fourteen  small  mother- 
less children,  and  one  at  the  breast.  In  short,  I  cannot  put 
in  even  the  smallest  of  the  numerous  pleas  by  which  the 
cowards  cry  off  from  serving  their  country.  I  am  a  native 
born  citizen  of  the  United  States,  aged  twenty  years,  sound 
in  mind  and  body,  wind  and  limb,  single,  and  with  no  one 
but  my  country  depending  on  me  for  support." 

And  so  saying,  Elfie  jumped  up  and  danced  out  of  the 
room  to  the  tune  of  "  Kally  round  the  flag,  boys  !  rally  once 
again ! " 

"  Will  she  be  so  mad  as  to  act  upon  that  summons  ?  "  in- 
quired young  Ethel,  in  consternation. 

Britomarte  laughed.  Erminie  sighed.  Neither  could 
answer  his  question. 

To  the  confusion  of  all  her  friends,  Elfie  did  act  npon. 
that  summons.  When  Erminie  went  in  search  of  her  to 
try  to  persuade  her  to  abandon  her  wild  project,  Elfie  was 
no  where  to  be  found. 

Britomarte  and  Erminie  went  their  morning  rounds  of 
the  hospitals,  and  returned  home  to  dinner.  But  Elfie  did 
not  appear.  Neither,  luckily,  did  her  father.  The  two 
friends  went  out  again  on  their  afternoon  rounds,  and  re- 
turned to  tea.  They  found  Major  Fielding  walking  up  and 
down  on  the  porch.  He  greeted  the  young  ladies  cordially, 
and  apologized  for  his  \mexpected  absence  from  the  dinner 
table  by  explaining  that  he  had  met  a  brother  officer,  who 
Inul  carried  him  off  to  dine  at  Willard's.  Then  he  in- 
quired : 


62  HOWHEWONHER. 

"Where  is  my  girl?     I  haven't  seen  her  since  I  came 

home." 

"  She  is  in  her  room,  perhaps,"  answered  Ermmie,  un- 
easily, but  hoping  earnestly  that  Elfie  might  he  found 
there. 

Erminie  hurried  into  the  house,  and  up  stairs  to  Elfie's 
chamber,  where,  sure  enough,  she  found  the  girl,  with  her 
bonnet  and  shawl  thrown  carelessly  upon  the  floor,  and  her- 
self sitting  down  on  the  sofa,  sulking. 

"  Oh,  Elfie,  dearest,  I  am  so  glad  to  see  you  back  again. 
We  have  been  so  anxious  about  you  all  day.  Where  have 
you  been,  darling  ?  "  exclaimed  Erminie,  going  towards  her. 

"  Where  have  I  been  ?  To  the  Provost  Marshal's  office, 
of  course." 

"Oh,  my  dear!" 

"  Yes,  I  have.  But  would  you  believe  it,  Erminie  ?  they 
wouldn't  accept  me.  No,  they  wouldn't,  although  I  told 
them  all  that  I  told  you,  and  proved  to  them  that  I  didn't 
come  under  any  one  of  the  heads  of  exemption,  and  that  I 
was  both  willing  and  able  to  serve  my  country.  No ;  for 
all  I  could  say  they  wouldn't  accept  me." 

"  My  dear,  did  you  really  expect  that  they  would  ?  "  in- 
quired Erminie  in  astonishment. 

"  I  don't  see  why  they  shouldn't.  It's  all  bosh  about  my 
being  a  woman.  I  tell  you,  Erminie,  a  healthy  young 
woman  is  quite  as  well  able  to  perform  military  duty  as 
most  men  are,  and  much  more  able  than  the  mere  boys  they 
are  constantly  mustering  into  the  ranks.  I  put  that  all  to 
them.  But  they  laughed  at  me — they  did,  the  narrow- 
minded  old  fogies ! " 

"  My  dear,  it  was  the  most  indulgent  manner  in  which 
they  could  have  treated  your  bad  joke,"  gravely  replied  Er- 
minie. 

"  Joke  ?  I  never  was  more  in  earnest  in  my  life.  I  did 
my  duty.  But  they  didn't  do  theirs.  And  mind,  Erminie, 


THE    SOLDIER'S    LOVE.  63 

I  didn't  abandon  my  point  very  easily.  I  didn't  until  they 
sent  me  away  from  the  office." 

"  Well,  I  hope  here  is  an  end  of  the  whole  absurd  affair, 
my  dear  Elfie.  And  I  am  very  glad  that  your  good  father 
has  not  been  vexed  by  hearing  of  it." 

"  But  here  is  not  an  end  of  it.  Erminie,  I  mean  either  to 
serve  in  the  army,  as  some  women  are  doing  a-t  this  present 
moment,  or  I  will  furnish  a  substitute  in  some  able  bodied 
alien." 

"  Then,  darling,  as  your  father  is  well  off  in  means,  not- 
withstanding his  great  losses,  I  see  no  objection  to  your  fur- 
nishing a  substitute,  though  you  are  not  obliged  to  do  so.  I 
myself  have  a  representative  in  the  field." 

"  You,  Erminie  ! " 

"  Yes,  dear,  and  I  think  it  the  duty  of  every  wealthy  and 
independent  woman  in  the  country  to  have  a  representative 
in  the  army.  But  come,  your  father  is  waiting  for  you, 
Elfie.  And  tea  is  ready.  Let  us  go  to  it." 

The  two  girls  rose  to  leave  the  room. 

"  Dear  Elfie,  pray  do  not  speak  of  this  vexatious  subject 
before  your  father  this  evening.  This,  you  know,  is  his  first 
day  out.  He  has  made  a  long  one  of  it,  and  he  looks  tired  ; 
so  let  him  have  his  tea  in  peace,"  said  Erminie,  as  they  went 
down  stairs. 

"  All  right.  I'll  not  say  anything  to  spoil  the  dear  old 
boy's  digestion  or  disturb  his  night's  rest." 

"  '  Old  boy  ! '  Oh,  Elfie  !  to  speak  of  your  father  so  ! 
How  I  wish  you  had  a  little  more  veneration ! " 

"  So  do  I ;  but  as  I  haven't,  what's  the  use  of  talking  ? 
May  be  though  honest  affection  isn't  a  bad  substitute." 

"And  you  have  that,  Elfie  dear,  certainly.  Here  we 
are,"  said  Erminie,  opening  the  back  hall  door  leading  out 
on  the  lawn,  where,  under  the  shade  of  a  spreading  horse 
chestnut  tree,  tbe  neat  tea  table  was  set. 

Britomarte,  Major  Fielding  and  Lieutenant  Ethel  were  al- 
ready out  there. 


64  HOWHEWONHER. 

Young  Ethel  started  with  delight  on  seeing  Elfie  ;  but 
Erminie  raised  her  finger  in  a  warning  manner,  and  he  sub- 
sided into  quietness.  Not  a  word  was  said  about  Elfie's  ad- 
venture. They  sat  down  at  the  table. 

Erminie  poured  out  the  tea.  The  major  gave  a  description 
of  the  friends  he  had  met  at  an  early  dinner  at  Willard's. 
And  he  spoke  of  his  approaching  departure  to  join  his  regi- 
ment. 

Lieutenant  Ethel  announced  his  own  appointment  to  the 
command  of  the  gun-boat  "  Thunderbolt/'  then  lying  off 
the  Navy  Yard. 

While  they  were  still  at  the  table  the  garden  gate  opened 
and  Justin  entered,  smiling. 

They  all  arose  eagerly  to  welcome  him.  He  shook  hands 
with  Britomarte  and  Elfie,  and  with  the  two  gentlemen,  and 
kissed  his  sister,  and  then  drew  a  chair  to  the  table,  where 
room  was  speedily  made  for  him. 

"  Why,  he  wears  the  captain's  straps  !  "  exclaimed  Elfie, 
in  delight. 

"Yes,"  smiled  Justin,  "I  have  my  company  at  last, 
Elfie." 

"  But  you  said  nothing  about  it ! " 

"I  wanted  to  see  whether  you  would  notice  the  straps 
without  my  pointing  them  out." 

"  Well,  I  declare  !— Ladies  and  gentlemen  I  have  the 
honor  to  present  to  you— Captain  Eosenthal !  "  said  Elfie, 
solemnly. 

"I  saw  your  new  straps,  Justin  dear — I  saw  them  at 
once.  What  change  could  take  place  in  you  that  I  should 
not  see  ?  "  said  Erminie,  in  a  low  voice. 

"  I  understood  you,  my  sister,"  murmured  Justin.  Then 
he  turned  his  eyes  on  Britomarte. 

She  met  the  glance  and  answered  gravely  : 

"When  you  are  promoted  for  services  rendered  on  the 
battle-field,  Justin,  then  I  will  congratulate  you." 


THE    SOLDIER'S    LOVE..  65 

Captain  Bosenthal  bowed  in  silence. 

"  Certainly;  what  have  we  all  been  thinking  of?  He  has 
risen  from  the  ranks  without  ever  having  been  under  fire ; 
he  has  been  advanced  upon  the  small  merits  of  keeping 
himself  clean  and  minding  his  drill.  Bosh  !  When  you 
have  seen  twenty  well-fought  fields  and  come  to  us  with  one 
arm  and  both  legs  off  and  the  stars  of  a  major-general  on, 
then  we'll  make  much  of  you,"  said  Elfie. 

"  Oh,  how  cruel !  "  murmured  Erminie. 

"No,  they  are  not  cruel,  my  sister.  They  are  right," 
said  Justin.  "Promotion  is  best  earned  in  the  battle- 
field, where  I  shall  soon  seek  it.  Though  I  hope  to 
bring  back  a  limb  or  two  more  than  Elfie  would  leave 
me." 

"  Yes — I  hope  so  too ;  for  she  would  literally  leave  you 
not  a  leg  to  stand  upon ! "  exclaimed  Major  Fielding 
heartily. 

Justin  then  announced  that  the  brigade  to  which  hia 
regiment  belonged  was  now  ready  for  service,  and  was 
hourly  expecting  marching  orders. 

And  when  tea  was  over  he  took  leave  and  departed. 

It  was  not  until  the  next  morning,  at  the  breakfast 
table,  that  Major  Fielding  discovered  his  daughter's  esca- 
pade. Now  that  the  draft  was  over,  Elfie  no  longer  read 
the  papers  aloud  while  others  breakfasted.  So  Major 
Fielding  had  the  morning  paper  in  his  hand,  leisurely 
looking  over  it  while  he  sipped  his  coffee. 

Suddenly  he  set  down  his  cup  with  emphasis,  and  nearly 
let  out  an  oath. 

Erminie,  Elfie  and  Ethel  looked  up  to  see  what  was 
the  matter. 

"  What  the is  this  ?  How  is  it  ?  Why  wasn't  I 

told  about  it  ?  Answer,  Miss ! "  exclaimed  the  angry  old 
soldier,  turning  upon  his  daughter. 

"  Now  here's  a  row  !  Answer  what  ?  Now  don't  ob- 
4 


66  HOWHEWONHER. 

streperate,  but  explain,  pap,"  coolly  replied  Elfie,  as  she 
daintily  ate  her  egg  from  its  shell. 

"  This,  Miss !  THIS  !  "  exclaimed  the  almost  infuriated 
old  man,  holding  up  the  paper  with  one  hand  and  rapping 
upon  it  with  the  fist  of  the  other. 

"  Don't  make  a  noise  over  the  breakfast  table,  you  dear 
old  boy — it  is  impolite  ;  and  don't  destroy  the  paper  be- 
fore other  people  have  read  it,— it  is  selfish.  But  tell  me 
like  a  good  boy,  what's  the  row  ?  " 

"  She  is  half  right.  Erminie,  my  dear,  I  beg  your  par- 
dan  ;  but  that  girl  of  mine  is  enough  to  drive  any  sane  man 
mad  !  Ethel,  take  that  and  read  it,"  said  the  major,  extend- 
ing the  paper  to  the  lieutenant  and  pointing  out  the  offensive 
paragraph. 

It  was  headed — 

A   GIRL    DRAFTED    BY    MISTAKE     AND    INSISTING    ON 
SERVING. 

And  it  was  a  full  account  of  Elfie's  visit  to  the  Provost 
Marshal's  office  and  all  that  took  place  in  her  interview  with 
the  officers  there. 

"  There  !  "  said  the  major,  when  Ethel  had  finished  read- 
ing— '•'  what  do  you  think  of  that  ?  Oh,  I'll  take  her  across 
to  St.  Elizabeth's  and  shut  her  up  in  the  lunatic  asylum  ! " 

"No  you  won't,  pap!  People  can't  do  that  with  sane 
women  in  this  country !  Now  do  be  jus-t !  that's  a  nice  old 
boy  !  Could  I  help  being  drafted  ?  " 

"  It  was  some  infernal  mistake  !  I  beg  your  pardon,  Er- 
minie, my  dear.  It  was  some  mistake.  But  you  could  have 
helped  reporting,  you  exasperating " 

— "  As  if  I  would  have  helped  reporting,  pap  ?  No  !  I 
leave  that  sort  of  poltroonry  to  the  men  ! "  said  Elfie. 

The  major  fairly  shook  with  wrath. 

"Be  consoled,  pap,  they  wouldn't  have  me,  you  know. 
They  said  I  didn't  belong  to  a  good  fighting  family  ! "  said 
Elfie. 


THE    SOLDIEK'S    LOVE.  67 

The  major  started  up  from  the  breakfast  table,  and  left  the 
room  in  hot  anger. 

The  breakfast  party  looked  dismayed. 

Erminie  arose  and  threw  her  arms  around  the  perverse 
girl's  neck,  and  pleaded  with  her. 

"  Elfie !  dear  Elfie,  go  after  him.  Ask  his  forgiveness. 
Make  friends  with  your  father  !  " 

"  Leave  me  alone,  Minie !  I  know  my  dear,  old  governor ; 
he'll  soon  be  all  right ! "  said  Elfie. 

But  the  dear,  old  governor  did  not  get  over  his  vexa- 
tion as  soon  as  Elfie  expected.  He  kept  his  little  daugh- 
ter at  a  distance  for  some  days. 

"Come,  pap,"  she  said  to  him  one  morning,  "let's 
compromise !  I  will  promise  you  '  never  to  do  so  more/  if 
you  will  buy  me  a  substitute  ! " 

But  the  indignant  major  made  her  no  reply. 

Elfie  persisted  in  her  proposal  with  all  the  perseverance 
of  the  Beast,  who  daily  for  a  year  asked  Beauty  to  marry 
him. 

"  Come,  pap !  buy  me  a  substitute  and  I'll  promise  you 
not  to  run  away  in  boy's  clothes,  and  'list  !  " 

Bu-t  still  the  old  man  did  not  deign  to  answer.  All  this 
time,  also,  Elfie  was,  as  she  always  had  been,  in  all  substan- 
tial services  a  most  devoted  daughter  to  her  father.  She 
attended  to  his  room,  to  put  all  those  little  finishing  touches 
to  its  comfort  that  no  one  but  herself  could  effect.  She  kept 
his  clothes  in  perfect  order.  She  had  one  of  his  half-dozen 
pairs  of  slippers  always  just  where  he  wanted  them.  His 
pipe  was  always  at  hand.  His  pitcher  of  iced  lemonade  was 
never  empty.  Nothing  that  tended  to  his  comfort  was 
wanting." 

But  still  the  major  was  inexorable. 

"  Just  look  at  my  pap  !  "  Elfie  would  sometimes  say,  "  sit- 
ting there  sulking  and  distilling  bile  !  If  "he  goes  on  this 
way  much  longer,  he'll  make  himself  so  sick  I  shall  have  to 


68  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

give  him  a  dose  of  calomel  and  jalap !— Pap !  you  may  sulk 
as  long  as  you  please,  and  make  yourself  as  yellow  as  saffron, 
but— if  you  don't  buy  me  a  substitute  I'll  'list !  I  will,  as 
gure  as  I'm  the  daughter  of  a  hero ! " 

So  at  length  by  coaxing,  threatening,  wheedling,  and 
bantering,  Elfie  brought  her  indulgent  old  father  out  of  his 
anger,  and  so  far  into  her  way  of  thinking  that  he  actually 
did  buy  her  a  substitute.  He  gave  five  hundred  dollars  to 
a  fine  young  foreigner  to  represent  Elfie  in  the  field. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE   LOVERS'   PARTING. 

She  weeps  the  weary  day, 
The  war  upon  her  native  soil, 
Her  lover's  risk  in  battle  broil.— SCOTT. 

BRITOMARTE  boarded  with  a  widow  of  the  name  of  Bur- 
ton, who  had  three  grown  daughters.  They  lived  in  a 
small  white  cottage,  in  a  large,  shady  garden,  in  the  north- 
eastern suburbs  of  the  city,  and  not  very  far  from  the  par- 
sonage. The  mother  and  daughters  supported  themselves 
by  taking  in  plain  sewing  from  the  quartermaster's  depart- 
ment. As  Britoniarte  was  their  only  boarder,  and  was  con- 
tented to  share  their  own  simple  and  frugal  meals,  her 
living  was  inexpensive,  and  she  paid  for  it  by  needle  work. 

Every  hour  of  the  day  that  she  did  not  devote  to  visiting 
the  hospitals  with  Erminie,  was  employed  in  this  work,  and 
the  stroke  of  midnight  often  found  her  still  at  her  needle. 
And  yet,  with  all  this  industry,  Britomarte  could  scarcely 
make  enough  to  pay  her  small  expenses. 

Justin  and  Erminie  guessed  all  this,  and  felt  great  but 
vain  regret ;  for  so  long  as  Miss  Conyers  remained  so  obsti- 


*  H  E    LOVER'S    PARTING.  69 

nately  proud  and  independent,  they  could  do  nothing  on 
earth  to  assist  her. 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  complained  Erminie,  "  that  if  I  were 
in  Britomarte's  place,  I  would  allow  those  who  love  me  to 
improve  my  condition." 

"  You  cannot  understand  her,  and  I  do  not  blame  her," 
answered  Justin. 

Once,  while  the  two  girls  were  on  their  way  to  the  Doug- 
lass Hospital,  Erminie  said: 

"  Britomarte,  dearest,  if  you  will  he  so  independent,  why 
can  you  not  be  so  in  a  more  agreeable  way — agreeable  to 
yourself,  I  mean?  Instead  of  delving  over  those  coarse 
garments  for  the  quartermaster's  department,  why  do  you 
not  give  music  lessons  ?  " 

"  Because,  my  dear,  I  only  want  transient  work,  some- 
thing that  I  can  give  up  at  any  moment  without  wronging 
any  one." 

"  But  what  do  you  mean  by  that,  Britomarte  ?  " 

"  My  stay  in  Washington  is  short  and  uncertain." 

"  Oh,  pray  don't  say  that.     Where  will  you  go  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  know,  dear,"  answered  Miss  Conyers,  in  that 
grave  tone  that  forbade  farther  cross-questioning. 

So  Erminie  sighed  a-nd  fell  into  silence. 

Britomarte  was  now  so  closely  engaged  that  she  seldom 
got  time  to  spend  an  evening  at  the  parsonage.  Something 
like  a  fortnight  had  elapsed  since  that  evening  when  she 
had  taken  tea  with  Erminie,  and  laughed  at  Justin  for  his 
mere  camp  promotions ;  and  since  then  she  had  not  visited 
their  house. 

One  afternoon  she  sat  diligently  sewing  on  a  coarse  blue 
jacket,  when  Mrs.  Burton  came  up  to  her  room  and  told 
her  that  there  was  an  old  colored  man  below  asking  to 
speak  to  her. 

She  went  down  stairs  and  found  Uncle  Bob,  who  handed 
her  a  note  from  Erminie. 


70  *  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

It  was  very  short,  and  ran  thus : 

"Dear  Britomarte,  please  come  to  me  at  once,  for  lam 
in  great  distress.  ERMINIE" 

«  What  is  the  matter,  Uncle  Bob  ?  "  she  inquired. 

«  Ma'am  ?  " 

"  Is  there  anything  amiss  at  your  house  ?  " 

"No,  ma'am, not  as  I  knows  of.  Miss  Erminie  is  crying, 
hut  I  aint  heern  no  had  news." 

Britomarte  ran  up  to  her  room,  and  put  on  her  honnet 
and  shawl,  and  came  down  and  joined  the  old  servant,  and 
started  for  the  parsonage.  But  her  fleet  steps  soon  dis- 
tanced his  feeble  ones,  and  she  arrived  at  the  house  first, 
and  hurried  immediately  to  the  library,  where  she  found 
Erminie  in  tears. 

"  What  is  it  all,  my  dearest  ?  "  inquired  Miss  Conyers, 
throwing  off  her  bonnet  and  shawl,  and  taking  Erminie  in 
her  arms. 

"  Oh,  Britomarte,  I  have  no  courage  at  all  when  the  test 
comes,"  sobbed  Erminie,  dropping  her  head  upon  the  bosom 
of  her  friend. 

'.'  But  what  is  it,  dearest  ?  "  again  inquired  Miss  Conyers, 
with  a  misgiving  heart. 

"  Oh,  can't  you  imagine  ?  Oh,  Britomarte,  the  brigade 
has  marching  orders  at  last.  It  is  to  leave  in  the  boats  this 
evening." 

Even  Britomarte  for  an  instant  reeled  under  the  blow, 
but  in  another  she  rallied  and  replied : 

"  That  is  well.  We  don't  want  any  more  camp  heroes, 
Ermiuie." 

"  But  it  is  so  sudden.  True,  we  were  expecting  this,  or 
rather  hearing  of  it,  every  day.  But  it  had  got  to  be  an 
old  story.  I  began  to  think  that  the  brigade  would  remain 
in  the  forts,  when  about  an  hour  ago  came  an  orderly  ser- 
geant with  this  note  from  Justin — listen  to  it,"  said 
Erminie,  unfolding  a  little  note  and  reading  : 


THE    LOVER'S    PARTING.  71 

Head  Quarters  of  the 

Fort 

"  MY  DEAREST  SISTER  : — We  have  received  our  march- 
ing orders.  We  go  by  the  six  o'clock  boats  this  afternoon. 
I  will  try  to  see  3Tou  before  we  leave.  If  I  cannot  get  to 
the  house,  will  you  be  at  the  wharf?  And  as  you  love  me, 
send  for  Britomarte,  and  prevail  on  her  to  remain  with  you 
at  the  house,  or  accompany  you  to  the  wharf,  as  the  case 
may  require.  Heaven  bless  you  both.  JUSTIN." 

"  It  is  now  two  o'clock.  Shall  you  stay  here  or  go  to  the 
wharf?  "  inquired  Britomarte,  in  a  tremulous  tone. 

"  I  shall  temain  here  until  five  o'clock.  If  he  does  not 
come  before  that  hour,  I  shall  know  that  he  will  not  come 
at  all,  and  that  the  only  chance  we  shall  have  of  taking 
leave  of  him,  will  be  at  the  wharf,"  replied  Erminie. 

"  My  darling,  if  he  is  not  here  within  a  very  few 
moments,  he  will  not  be  here  at  all ;  for  you  know  he  must 
leave  himself  time  enough  after  visiting  you  to  get  back  to 
camp  to  march  his  company." 

"That  is  true.  Still,  it  is  not  worth  while  for  us  to  leave 
the  house  before  five  o'clock,  as  they  will  not  be  at  the  boats 
before  half-past  five,"  said  Erminie. 

"  You  are  right,"  agreed  Britomarte. 

"  And  oh  !  I  still  hope  that  he  may  come  here.  It  will 
be  dreadful  to  have  to  bid  him  good-bye  at  the  wharf,  in 
the  multitude  of  men.  But  if  I  do  have  to  go  to  the 
wharf,  you  will  go  with  me,  Britomarte  ? "  pleaded  Er- 
minie. 

"  Certainly,"  replied  Miss  Conyers. 

"  And  oh  !  Britty,  Britty,  if  you  would  only  give  him  a 
little  hope — a  little  hope  to  cheer  him  on  his  way." 

"  Don't  speak  of  it,  Erminie.  I  would  die  for  your 
brother  rather  than  sacrifice  my  principles  so  far." 

Erminie  sighed  and  forbore  to  reply. 


"2  HOWHEWONHER. 

"  Where  is  Elfie  ?  "  inquired  Miss  Conyers,  to  change  the 
conversation. 

"She  is  packing  her  father's  portmanteau.  He,  too, 
leaves  us  to  join  his  regiment  to-morrow  ;  and  Ethel  goes 
the  day  after.  We  shall  have  a  lonely  house  here,  Brito- 
marte." 

"You  will  fill  it  with  .refugees  from  the  South,  never 
fear,"  said  Miss  Conyers,  cheerfully. 

Even  while  she  spoke,  the  door  bell  rang  sharply. 

"  That  is  Justin  !  "  she  exclaimed,  springing  to  her  feet 
and  running  out  to  meet  him. 

Britomarte  remained  pale  and  breathless  where  Erminie 
had  left  her. 

There  was  a  sound  of  meeting,  and  of  sobbing,  and  of 
cheering  words,  and  then  the  brother  and  sister  entered  the 
library. 

Britomarte  arose  and  gave  her  hand  to  Justin.  He 
pressed  it  in  silence.  They  could  not  trust  themselves  to 
speak  just  then. 

"  How  long — can  you  stay  with  us,  my  brother  ?  "  said 
Erminie,  striving  hard  to  control  her  emotion  and  to  speak 
with  composure. 

"I  may  remain  with  you  until  five  o'clock,  dear.  My 
first  lieutenant  will  march  my  company  to  the  boat,  and  I 
have  leave  to  join  it  there." 

"  Thank  Heaven  for  so  much  grace ! "  replied  Erminie,  as 
she  turned  and  left  the  room. 

She  went  out  from  a  two-fold  motive — to  order  a  dainty 
dinner  prepared,  so  that  they  all  might  partake  of  one 
more  meal  together,  and  also  to  give  her  brother  the  oppor- 
tunity of  making  one  more  last  appeal  to  his  obdurate  love. 

When  they  were  left  alone  together,  Justin  and  Brito- 
marte remained  for  a  few  moments  silent  and  motionless. 
Both  were  too  full  of  suppressed  emotion  to  trust  them- 
selves to  move  or  speak. 


THE   LOVER'S    PARTING.  78 

Justin  was  the  first  to  master  himself.  When  he  had 
done  so,  he  approached  Britomarte,  stood  before  her  a 
moment,  and  then  taking  her  hand,  said,  in  a  tone  thrilled 
with  passion  : 

"  I  promised  you  never  again  to  speak  of  the  subject 
nearest  my  heart." 

"  Then  keep  your  promise,  Justin,"  she  said,  in  a  gentle, 
solemn  voice. 

"  You  will  not  free  me  from  it  ?  " 

« I  cannot." 

«  Britomarte  ! " 

"Well?" 

"  Do  you  know  why,  after  so  long  a  delay,  we  have  at 
length  received  such  sudden  marching  orders  ?  " 

"  I  do  not." 

"  Nor  yet  where  we  are  going  ?  " 

"No." 

"  I  will  tell  you.  We  are  ordered  to  C ,  to  reinforce 

General  M ,  who  is  hourly  expecting  a  battle." 

Britomarte  started  as  if  she  had  suddenly  received  a 
stab  ;  but  quickly  recovered  herself,  and  firmly  replied  : 

"  Then  I  congratulate  you,  Justin.  I  would  to  Heaven 
I  could  stand  at  your  side — your  brother-in-arms — on  tho 
day  of  battle  !  " 

"  So  would  not  I,"  said  Justin,  gravely — "  so  would  not 
I.  But,  Britomarte,  you  have  it  in  your  power  to  give  my 
arm  great  strength,  if  you  please  to  do  so." 

"  Love  of  your  country  should  be  all  sufficient  to  nerve 
your  arm,  Justin,"  she  answered,  earnestly. 

He  took  her  hand,  and  sought  to  read  her  face  ;  but  she 
turned  away  her  head  to  conceal  the  emotion  she  could  not 
quite  control. 

They  were  interrupted : 

'Malbrook  is  bound  to  the  wars  I 
Malbrook  is  bound  to  the  wars ! 


74  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

Malbrook  is  bound  to  the  wars ! 
And  I  hope  he'll  never  return!'" 

sang  Elfie,  dancing  into  the  room. 

"  So  you  are  really  off,  are  you,  Justin  ? "  she  inquired, 
giving  him  her  hand. 

"  Yes,  Elfie — really,  off  at  last,"  replied  Justin,  smiling. 

"  Well,  so  is  my  governor,  and  so  is  my  substitute  ! 
And  I  wish  with  all  my  heart  and  soul  that  I  was  going 
too  !  But,  you  see,  I  have  given  my  pap  my  sacred  word 
not  to  enlist,  unless  my  substitute  jumps  the  bounty,  or 
gets  himself  killed  or  taken  prisoner  !  "  said  Elfie. 

Erminie  hearing  the  voices  in  the  library,  thought  it 
would  be  of  no  use  for  her  to  remain  out  any  longer,  depriv- 
ing herself  of  her  brother's  society.  So  she  came  in.  And 
after  that  the  conversation,  under  the  auspices  of  Elfie, 
became  general  and  cheerful. 

A  very  nice  dinner  was  served  at  four  o'clock.  And  Jus- 
tin and  the  three  young  ladies  sat  down  to  it  together. 

Major  Fielding  and  Lieutenant  Ethel  were  not  at  home, 
and  not  expected  before  six  o'clock. 

After  dinner  Erminie  sent  out  for  a  carriage. 

"  You  must  let  us  ride  down  to  the  wharf  witn  you, 
Justin,  and  se^e  you  off,"  said  his  sister. 

"  Yes,  yes — it  is  just  what  I  wish,"  he  answered. 

"  Britomarte,  dear  Britomarte,  you,  too,  will  go  with  us," 
pleaded  Erminie. 

"  Of  course  I  shall,  love,"  murmured  Miss  Conyers,  in 
reply. 

"  Elfie  dear,  I  know  that  you  must  stay  here  to  receive 
your  father  when  he  comes  in  to  dinner,  else  I  would  ask 
you  also  to  go  with  us,"  said  Erminie. 

"Thanks  for  nothing!"  laughed  Elfie.  "I  can't  go, 
and  I  don't  want  to  go;  and  as  Captain  Eosenthal  is 
neither  my  brother  nor  my  lover,  there  is  no  necessity  for 
me  to  go." 


THE    LOVER'S    PARTING.  75 

The  carriage  was  at  the  door  at  five  o'clock. 

Justin  took  leave  of  Elfie,  left  his  regards  for  Major 
Fielding  and  Lieutenant  Ethel,  and  then  entered  the  car- 
riage where  Britomarte  and  Erminie  were  already  seated. 

A  half  hour's  rapid  driving  brought  them  to  the  steam- 
boat wharf,  which  was  now  a  scene  of  great  excitement. 

The  troops  were  embarking ;  and  a  great  number  of 
people — relatives,  friends  and  even  mere  acquaintances  were 
assembled  to  see  them  off. 

The  regiments  were  embarked  by  companies.  And  while 
one  company  would  be  passing  on  to  the  boat  in  files,  those 
remaining  on  the  wharf  were  "at  rest." 

Some  were  devouring  fruit  and  cakes  at  the  stands  on 
the  grounds ;  some  buying  papers  of  the  news-boys,  who 
were  crying  the  last  victory ;  some  were  shaking  hands 
with  friends  ;  and  others,  many  others,  were  bidding  good- 
bye to  mothers,  wives,  sisters,  or  sweethearts,  assembled 
there,  "  to  see  the  last  of  them." 

In  the  crowd  one  boy  attracted  Britomarte's  attention. 
Though  he  wore  the  uniform  of  a  soldier,  he  did  not  seem 
to  be  more  than  fifteen  years  of  a<re.  A  bright,  spirited- 
looking  lad  he  was,  but  he  seemed  quite  alone  in  that  crowd. 
No  one  accosted  him,  and  -he  spoke  to  none.  Britomarte 
watched  him  with  some  interest. 

"  He  belongs  to  my  company,"  said  Justin. 

Britomarte  and  Erminie  now  got  out  of  their  carriage 
and  stood  with  Justin,  until  the  company  immediately 
before  his  own  fell  into  order  to  embark.  Then  it  was  the 
turn  of  Justin's  company  to  form. 

"  I  must  leave  you  now,  Erminie  !  be  a  woman,  my  little 
girl !  "  said  Justin,  hastily  but  fervently  pressing  his  sister 
to  his  bosom. 

"  God  bless  you !  Oh  !  God  bless  you,  my  brother !  "  she 
cried,  trying  hard  to  swallow  and  keep  down  her  sobs  and 
tears. 


76  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

"  Good-bye,  Britomarte  !  "  said  Justin,  solemnly,  giving 
her  his  hand. 

"  Good-bye !  May  God  strengthen  your  arm,  and  pre- 
serve your  life  in  the  battle,  and  send  you  back  with  victory ! 
Good-bye ! "  she  answered,  wringing  his  hand  and  dropping 
it,  and  turning  away  her  head  to  hide  the  strong  emotion 
all  but  too  manifest  in  her  countenance. 

A  sigh  reached  her  ear,  and  then  the  piteous  words : 

"  Well,  there  is  no  one  in  the  world  to  bid  me  good-bye, 
or  ask  God  to  bless  me.  Oh,  well,  so  much  the  better  may 
be,  for  if  I'm  killed  there'll  be  nobody's  feelings  hurt." 

Britomarte  looked  up. 

It  was  the  lonely  boy  who  had  spoken,  and  now  he  stood 
there  with  a  smile  that  was  more  touching  than  tears  could 
have  been. 

Britomarte's  pity  moved  for  the  friendless  lad. 

"  Yes,  my  boy,  I  will  bid  you  good-bye,  and  pray  God  to 
bless  you,  and  to  bring  you  back  to  us  safe  ! "  sho  said,  tak- 
ing the  lad's  hand,  stooping  and  pressing  a  kiss  upon  his 
brow. 

Justin  saw  it  all ;  but  not  a  shade  of  jealousy  clouded  his 
own  mind.  He  understood  Britomarte  too  well. 

"  God  bless  you  for  that,  noble  woman !  "  he  whispered. 
"  I  will  look  after  the  lad  as  though  he  were  my  younger 
brother,  or  yours." 

And  these  were  Justin's  parting  words  to  Britomarte. 

While  he  was  leading  his  men  on  to  the  boat,  Britomarte 
and  Erminie  returned  to  the  carriage,  where  they  sat  watch- 
ing until  the  few  remaining  companies  embarked,  and  the 
boat  got  up  her  steam,  and  steamed  away  from  the  wharf. 

Even  then  they  continued  to  watch  the  boat  as  long  as 
she  remained  in  sight. 

And  finally  they  gave  the  order  to  drive  back  to  the 
parsonage.  When  they  arrived,  Erminie  tried  to  persuade 


THE    LOVER'S    PARTING.  TT 

Britomarte  to  alight  and  go  in  ;  but  in  vain.     Miss  Conyers 
felt  that  she  needed  the  solitude  of  her  own  chamber. 

"  Go  in,  dear  Erminie.  Elfio  and  her  father  will  cheer 
you  up  this  evening.  To-morrow  I  will  come  to  you,"  she 
said,  embracing  her  friend,  and  then  drawing  her  veil  over 
her  face  and  turning  her  steps  homeward.  Britomarte 
reached  her  boarding-house  and  opened  the  front  door,  which 
admitted  her  immediately  into  the  neat  little  parlor  where 
the  landlady  and  her  daughters  were  seated  at  tea. 

Mrs.  Burton  arose  in  a  little  bustle  to  get  another  cup  and 
saucer,  and  saying,  apologetically  : 

"  We  waited  a-n  hour  for  you,  Miss  Conyers,  and  then  we 
concluded  that  you  were  spending  the  evening  with  your 
friends,  and  so  we  thought  we  would  have  our  tea.  But  I 
will  make  some  fresh  for  you  in  a  moment." 

"  No — pray  do  not  disturb  yourself.  I  can  not  take  any- 
thing just  now.  By  and  by,  may  be,  I  may  come  down  and 
make  a  cup  for  myself,"  said  Britomarte,  passing  hastily 
through  the  parlor  to  the  back  room,  from  which  the  stairs 
ascended  to  her  own  chamber. 

Arrived  there,  she  bolted  herself  in,  threw  off  her  bonnet 
and  shawl,  and  dropped  down  upon  her  bed,  in  a  collapse  of 
all  her  enthusiasm,  and  wept  bitterly. 

For  nearly  three  years  she  had  been  the  constant  companion 
of  Justin,  under  circumstances  that  threw  them  entirely 
upon  each  other  for  mutual  comfort  and  support ;  and  the 
love  tha-t  had  first  been  inspired  by  his  high  personal  excel- 
lence was  now  confirmed  by  habit. 

Since  they  had  returned  to  their  native  country,  and 
mingled  freely  with  their  fellow-creatures,  each  little  event 
that  h-ad  come  between  herself  and  her  lover,  to  part  them 
even  for  a  day,  had  been  felt  like  the  stroke  of  a  cleaving 
sword  dividing  her  bosom. 

Even  the  first  little  parting  in  the  city,  when  she  went 


78  HOWHEWONHER. 

temporarily  to  a  hotel,  and  he  went  to  his  home,  a  few  streets 
off,  was  a  sharp  pain,  although  she  knew  that  she  would  see 
him  every  day. 

The  second  parting,  when  he  enlisted,  and  went  over  to  his 
fort  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  was  a  much  sharper  pain, 
for  she  knew  that  she  should  see  him  only  every  week  at 
oftenest. 

But  now  this  parting  was  insupportable  agony,  for  she  felt 
that  she  might  not  see  him  for  years,  if  indeed  she  should 
ever  see  him  again. 

Moaning  and  weeping  in  her  anguish  and  despair,  she 
now  realized  how  utterly  her  soul  had  passed  into  the  soul  of 
her  lover,  so  that  she  lived  only  in  his  life. 

Yes,  only  in  his  life.  Lifeless,  except  in  its  painful 
half-consciousness  of  death,  seemed  her  own  being ;  lifeless 
the  great,  populous  city  ;  lifeless  the  long  lines  of  occupied 
forts ;  lifeless  all,  because  he  was  no  longer  in  the  midst. 
While  away  down  the  broad  river,  somewhere,  in  one  man's 
bosom,  beat  the  heart  of  all  life  for  her. 

An  unsupportable  sense  of  suffocation,  like  the  being 
stifled  with  grave  clods,  overwhelmed  her.  She  struggled 
up  and  threw  open  the  windows  of  her  room  for  air.  But 
it  was  a  subtler  air  than  any  in  her  reach  that  she  needed 
for  her  relief.  And  an  intolerable  longing  to  be  near  him, 
to  be  with  him  at  all  costs,  seized  her.  She  felt  that  she 
could  not  breathe  apart  from  him ;  that  there  could  be  no 
evil  in  this  world  come  to  her  so  great  as  this  evil  of  sepa- 
ration from  him ;  that  there  was  nothing  could  be  compared 
with  it ;  nothing  could  be  weighed  against  it ;  no  cause  on 
earth  could  or  need  justify  such  a  mortal  severance. 

Without  him,  the  fairest,  brightest  scenes  of  earth  would 
be  to  her  as  lifeless  and  as  gloomy  as  the  charnel  house, 
while  with  him  any  scene — a  hut,  a  cave,  a  bomb-proof,  the 
rifle-pits,  the  battle-field,  aye,  the  Libby  Prison  itself,  would 
be  endurable. 


THE    LOVER'S    PARTING.  79 

In  the  great  bitterness  of  her  anguish,  she  repented  that 
she  had  not  married  him,  and  gone  with  him  to  the  field. 
That  would  have  been  happiness,  and  the  orly  happiness 
possible  for  her.  But  then  she  was  pledged  to  abjure  his 
whole  sex  in  the  way  of  love  and  marriage. 

But  if  it  were  possible  that  she  could  have  followed  him 
to  battle,  followed  him  through  life,  as  his  sister,  that  would 
have  been  the  next  best  thing  to  being  his  wife ;  or,  better 
still,  as  his  brother,  for  as  his  brother  she  might  be  beside 
him  on  the  battle-field,  in  the  midst  of  an  engagement, 
when  shot  and  shell  were  flying  fastest,  in  the  thickest 
carnage,  where,  as  his  wife,  she  would  never  be  allowed  to 
appear. 

A  vehement,  passionate  desire  to  be  all  this  to  her 
beloved  ;  to  be  to  him  more  than  wife,  sister  or  brother  had 
ever  been  to  man  before — more  than  all  these  combined 
could  ever  become — to  be  his  brother-in-arms,  his  insepara- 
ble companion,  his  shadow,  his  shield,  his  guardian  angel, 
in  the  tented  field,  in  the  pitched  battle,  in  the  rebel  prison, 
or  in  the  grave. 

And  why  should  she  not  be  all  this  to  him  ?  she  asked 
herself.  There  was  no  law  of  God  or  man  that  forbade  it. 
There  was  no  human  creature  whom  she  could  hurt  by  it. 

In  the  midst  of  her  impassioned  aspirations  she  stopped 
short,  sat  down,  and  put  her  hands  to  her  temples  and  took 
herself  to  task. 

"  Am  I  mad  or  morbid  ?  "  she  inquired.  "  All  this  must 
be  wrong  and  extravagant.  There  are  thousands  and 
thousands  of  wives  who  are  parted  from  their  husbands, 
and  girls  who  are  parted  from  their  lovers,  by  this  war.  I 
meet  such  every  day,  and  they  are  very  cheerful  over  it. 
'  My  husband  is  on  General  Sherman's  staif,'  says  one  lady, 
with  more  pride  than  regret.  '  John  is  with  Admiral 
Dahlgren  before  Charleston,'  chirps  another,  whose  be- 
trothed is  daily  exposed  to  death.  Is  my  love  greater  than 


gO  HOWHEWONHER. 

theirs,  or  is  my  patience  only  less?"  She  paused,  and 
then  answered  herself — 

"  I  know  not  how  it  may  be  with  others — I  only  know 
that  I  cannot  live  or  breathe  except  I  go  to  my  lover's  side 
and  share  his  toils  and  dangers." 

And  she  arose  and  put  back  the  dark  tresses  of  her  hair, 
while  a  wonderful  calmness  and  resolution  settled  her 
stormy  features  into  stillness. 


CHAPTER  VL 
THE  GUEKKILLA'S  WIFE. 

Banger,  long  travel,  want  and  woe. 
Soon  change  the  form  that  best  we  know ; 
tor  deadly  fear  can  time  outgo. 

And  blanch  at  once  the  hair  ; 
Hard  time  can  roughen  form  and  face. 
And  what  can  quench  the  eye's  bright  grace, 
Nor  does  old  age  a  wrinkle  trace 

More  deeply  than  despair,— SCOTT. 

EKMINIE  grieved  bitterly  over  the  departure  of  her 
brother  j  yet  she,  no  more  than  Britomarte,  wotild  have 
kept  him  back  even  if  she  could  have  done  so.  But  she 
wept  and  prayed  through  the  whole  of  the  succeeding 
night.  Only  the  reflection  that  he  was  doing  his  duty  to 
his  country,  and  the  belief  that  her  prayers  for  his  safety 
would  be  heard  in  Heaven,  at  length  sufficed  to  console  her. 

The  next  morning  she  had  no  time  to  grieve  and  but 
little  to  pray.  A  busy  and  exciting  day  was  before  her. 

Early  in  the  forenoon,  Lieutenant  Ethel,  with  earnestly 
grateful  acknowledgments  of  the  affectionate  hospitality  he 
had  enjoyed  for  so  many  weeks,  took  a  sorrowful  leave  of 
the  parsonage. 

It  is  true  that  he  need  not  have  hurried  away  to  join  his 
ship  at  Baltimore  that  day.  But  a  fine  sense  of  delicacy 


THE    GUERRILLA'S    WIFE.  81 

suggested  to  him  a  certain  impropriety  in  his  remaining  the 
guest  of  a  house  where  there  were  only  two  young  ladies 
left  to  entertain  him.  So  he  took  leave  a  few  hours  pre- 
vious to  the  departure  of  Major  Fielding. 

"  I  feel  really  sorry  that  he  is  gone.  He  is  a  gentlemanly 
young  officer,"  said  Erminie,  looking  after  the  hack  that 
was  conveying  him  to  the  railway  station. 

"  Yes,  hut  he  was  a  nuisance  for  all  that !  and  I  am  very 
glad  he  is  out  of  the  way,"  said  Elfie,  who  was  standing  by 
her  side. 

"  Oh,  Elfie,  how  can  you  say  any  thing  so  unkind ! " 

"  It  isn't  unkind ;  it  is  true." 

"  He  never  was  in  my  way." 

"No;  because  you  are  so  methodical,  you  never  can  be 
put  out  by  anything.  You  rise,  dress,  eat,  walk,  read  and 
sleep  by  rule.  Now  I'm  different.  I  like  to  sail  all  over 
the  house  in  a  loose  wrapper,  without  the  danger  of  meeting 
with  one  of  the  male  sect  of  Christians.  And  when  I  am 
in  a  hurry  in  the  morning  I  like  to  run  down  from  my 
chamber  to  the  kitchen  in  my  bare  feet.  But  I  declare  I 
never  undertook  to  do  either,  yet,  while  there  was  a  male 
creature  in  the  house,  that  the  male  creature  did  not  start 
out  of  the  drawing  room  or  the  library  and  meet  me  full 
face,  as  if  Old  Nick  had  kicked  him  into  my  path.  Not 
that  I  cared,  only  I  didn't  like  it.  And  so  I'm  heartily 
glad  Ethel  for  one  is  gone. 

'  Malbrook  is  gone  to  the  wars 
And  I  hope  he'll  never  return ! ' " 

sang  Elfie,  saucily  dancing  into  the  house. 

In  the  afternoon  Major  Fielding  took  an  affectionate 
leave  of  his  daughter  and  their  hostess,  and  left  the  city  to 
join  his  regiment. 

Elfie  had  admonished  him  to  keep  his  face  clean  and  his 
hair  combed  and  his  shoes  tied ;  to  obey  his  superior  officer, 
5 


82  HOW      HE     WON      HE  K. 

write  home  once  a  week,  and  be  a  good  old  boy  generally. 
She  had  watched  him  out  of  sight. 

And  now  that  he  was  quite  gone,  she  ran  up  stairs,  away 
up  into  the  attic,  where  she  felt  sure  of  being  free  from 
interruption,  and  she  locked  herself  in  and  gave  herself  up 
to  a  good  howling  spell. 

She  heard  Erminie  looking  for  her  in  the  empty  chambers 
below,  doubtless  with  the  intention  of  offering  her  consola- 
tion, and  she  held  her  breath  to  keep  from  being  discovered. 
Presently  she  heard  Erminie  give  up  the  search  and  go 
down  stairs. 

And  soon  after  Elfie  also  arose,  wiped  her  eyes  and  stole 
down  to  her  own  room,  where  she  washed  her  face,  brushed 
her  hair  and  arranged  her  dress.  And  then  she  ran  down 
to  the  library  and  joined  Erminie. 

"  I  feel  very  sorry  that  your  father  has  gone,  Elfie,"  said 
the  gentle  girl,  in  a  sympathizing  tone. 

"  So  do  I.  But  then  he's  gone  '  where  glory  waits  '  him, 
and  all  that,  you  know,  and — it's  a  great  relief!  " 

"  Elfie  ! " 

"  Well  it  is,  Minie.  Bless  the  dear  old  governor  !  he  is 
just  as  little  of  a  nuisance  as  one  of  the  male  persuasion 
can  be  reasonably  expected  to  be ;  but  they  are  all 
nuisances,  Minie,  and  it  is  a  great  relief  to  get  rid  of 
them." 

"  Oh,  Elfie,  your  father,  dear !  " 

"  Oh  yes,  I  know,  and  I'm  really  very  fond  of  my  pap, 
and  I  shall  pray  every  day  that  he  may  keep  out  of  the 
Libby  Prison  !  And  I'm  very  sorry  he  is  gone.  But  why 
may  I  not  draw  what  comfort  I  can  from  the  reflection  that 
the  dear  old  fellow  fagged  me  almost  to  death  while  he  was 
here  ?  Bless  the  tall  baby !  he  never  knew  where  he  left 
his  boot-jack,  or  what  he  did  with  his  spectacles,  or  how  to 
find  his  gloves.  And  I  was  worked  harder  than  a  draft 
horse  with  waiting  on  him  to  keep  him  straight !  Now  I 


THE    GUERRILLA'S    WIFE  83 

can  recline  back  in  my  chair,  and  kick  my  heels  all  day 
long  at  my  ease ! "  And  the  perverse  imp  suited  the  action 
to  the  word. 

"  I  know  you  too  well  to  believe  you,  Elfie.  Although 
you  say  these  shocking  things,  and  seem  to  take  pleasure  in 
seeing  how  they  really  do  shock  me,  yet  I  am  sure  that  at 
this  moment  you  would  give  the  world,  if,  it  was  yours,  to 
have  your  dear  father  back  again,  if  you  could  have  him 
consistently  with  his  duty.  As  for  poor  Ethel,  however,  I 
really  do  believe  that  you  are  glad  he  is  gone,"  said 
Erminie,  gravely. 

"  You  better  had  believe  it.  Ethel  was  a  horrid  bother, 
and  I  am  delighted  to  be  rid  of  him.  Oh,  Minie,  it  is  a 
great  blessing  that  there  is  not  a  man  left  in  the  house  to 
worry  us  !  What  a  good  old  time  we  shall  have  all  to  our- 
selves !  We  needn't  trouble  our  heads  now  about  puddings 
and  soups  and  salads  and  things  !  When  we  are  hungry 
we  can  eat  a  bit  of  bread  and  butter,  with  some  nice  jam 
spread  over  it,  and  have  a  cup  of  tea.  And  we  can  sail 
about  the  house  all  day  long  in  our  wrappers  and  slippers, 
without  feeling  like  blockade  runners  in  imminent  danger 
of  meeting  the  enemy." 

Erminie's  thoughts  had  wandered  to  Britomarte,  so  she 
let  her  wild  companion  rattle  on  unheeded  and  almost 
unheard.  She  reflected  that  Britomarte  had  spoken  of 
calling  to  see  her  in  the  course  of  this  day.  Now  the  day 
was  nearly  over,  and  Miss  Conyers  had  not  come. 

"And  I  tell  you  what,  Erminie,  this  is  freedom.  No 
more  addling  our  brains  over  incessant  changes  of  dishes  to 
suit  their  exacting  appetites.  Lor,  Erminie,  if  it  were  not 
for  the  men,  we  would  never  trouble  our  heads  with  the 
study  of  a  new  omelettte,  or  a  new  sauce  or  gravy,  would 
we?  But  those  gormandizing  animals,  you  know,  they 
think  of  nothing  on  earth  all  day  long  but  their  blessed 
stomachs,  unless  it  is  their  bothering  shirt  buttons  1  1 


84  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

really  do  believe  we  women  were  the  original  creations,  and 
men  were  afterwards  inflicted  on  us  in  punishment  of  our 
eins.  They  are  such  torments,  Minie.  And  now  they  are 
all  gone  we  shall  have  a  glorious  old  time !  And  I'm  going 
to  begin  mine  by " 

Here  a  sharp,  loud,  impatient  ringing  of  the  door  bell 
put  a  sudden  stop  to  the  conversation. 

"  That's  Britomarte,  now,"  exclaimed  Erminie,  starting 
up. 

«  No,  it  isn't.     It's  not  her  ring,"  cried  Elfie. 

Then  both  paused  and  listened  while  Old  Bob  opened  the 
door. 

A  minute  passed,  and  then  the  library  door  was  opened 
by  the  old  man,  who  announced : 

«  Madame  Vittorio  Corsoni !  " 

And  to  the  unbounded  astonishment  of  the  two  girls, 
she  who  was  once  Alberta  Goldsborough  entered  the  room. 

"Oh,  Alberta!  Alberta!  I  am  so  glad  to  see  you,  love!" 
exclaimed  Erminie,  forgetting  the  guerrilla's  wife,  and  im- 
pulsively springing  up  to  meet  with  an  overflowing  welcome 
her  beloved  old  school-mate. 

Elfie  never  budged. 

"  Glad — glad  to  see  me  whom"  you  Unionists  term  a 
rebel  ?  In  truth,  I  had  not  expected  this,  Erminie,"  said 
the  visitor,  pushing  farther  off  her  face  the  long  rusty  black 
veil  that  had  nearly  concealed  it. 

Erminie's  countenance  changed,  her  frame  trembled,  and 
her  tones  vibrated  with  emotion,  as  she  replied : 

"  I  am  grieved,  Heaven  knows  how  deeply  grieved  to 
hear  you  say  so,  Alberta." 

And  then  Erminie  paused,  in  doubt  as  to  what  she  should 
say  or  do  next. 

Had  the  visitor  been  her  own  personal  enemy  coming  to 
her  in  this  seemingly  inoffensive  guise,  she  would  have 
made  her  very  welcome,  and  treated  her  very  kindly. 


THE    GUERRILLA'S    WIFE.  85 

But  her  country's  enemy  was  another  affair.  Had  she 
the  right  to  entertain  a  secessionist  ?  Would  it  not  be 
aiding  and  abetting  secession  ? 

Erminie  hesitated  in  much  distress  of  spirit.  Her  gentle 
heart  pleaded  for  the  worn  and  sorrowful-looking  woman 
before  her,  but  her  scrupulous  conscience  warned  her  not  to 
yield  to  these  feelings. 

While  Erminie  thus  hesitated,  the  visitor  turned  to  Elfie, 
and  said,  in  surprised  recognition  : 

"  Why,  this  is  Elfrida  Fielding,  is  it  not  ?  " 

"  Yes,  tha-t  is  my  name,  and  it  is  very  nearly  all  that  the 
confederates  have  left  me,"  answered  Elfie,  without  even 
raising  her  eyes  to  the  face  of  the  questioner. 

"  And  have  you  no  welcome  for  me,  Elfie  ? "  sadly  in- 
quired Alberta. 

"No.  I  should  have  no  welcome  for  my  grandmother, 
were  the  old  lady  a  guerrilla's  wife,"  relentlessly  answered 
Elfie,  averting  her  head. 

"  But  I  am  no  guerrilla.  And  I  have  taken  the  oath  of 
itllegiance,  or  you  would  not  see  me  here/'  said  Alberta, 
with  a  strange,  discordant  laugh. 

But  these  words  seemed  to  set  Erminie's  spirit  free. 

"  Have  you  ?  have  you  ?  Oh,  have  you,  indeed,  Alberta  ? 
Then  you  are  welcome !  welcome !  thrice  welcome !  to  my 
heart  and  home,  and  to  our  country's  cause,  Alberta.  Sit 
down,  love,  and  rest  here,  and  let  me  take  off  your  wrap- 
pings/' she  said,  gently  forcing  her  visitor  into  the  easiest 
chair,  and  tenderly  untying  and  removing  her  bonnet. 

"  You  wonder  at  seeing  me  here  ?  "  said  Alberta. 

"No,  indeed;  I  wonder  at  nothing  in  these  days," 
smiled  Erminie. 

"  I  must  tell  you,  however,  why  I  have  intruded  upon 
you." 

"  Your  visit  is  no  intrusion,  and  yon  shall  tell  me  nothing 
more,  dear  Alberta,  until  you  are  rested  and  refreshed. 


86  HOW      HE    .WON      HER. 

Tea  will  b3  ready  very  soon,  and  after  you  Lave  had  it,  you 
shall  share  my  chamber,  and  in  its  privacy  tell  me  what  you 
like.  Just  now,  it  is  enough  for  me  to  hear  that  you  have 
returned  to  your  old  allegiance,  and  to  see  that  you  are 
weary  and  sorrowful." 

Again  that  strange  discordant  laugh  broke  from  Alberta's 
pallid  lips,  and  jarred  harshly  upon  the  ears  of  her  hearers. 

Erminie  felt  that  she  would  rather  have  seen  her  weep 
than  heard  her  laugh  so  strangely.  Her  act  was  more  like 
hysteria  or  even  madness. 

The  girls  had  been  sitting  in  the  light  of  the  fire,  which 
the  chill  of  the  early  autumn  evening  rendered  very  wel- 
come. But  now  Erminie  arose  and  lighted  the  gas.  And 
then  they  saw  their  visitor  plainly. 

Alberta  was  awfully  changed,  and  Erminie  shuddered  as 
she  gazed  on  her.  Her  dress  was  all  black,  but  rusty  and 
travel-stained.  Her  face  and  form  were  still  beautiful,  but 
the  "  glory "  of  their  beauty  was  "  obscured."  Her  once 
oval  face  was  lengthened  and  hollowed,  her  perfect  features 
pinched  and  sharpened ;  her  fair  complexion  sunburned, 
her  brilliant  hair  faded,  her  graceful  form  emaciated. 

Her  whole  aspect  spoke  of  the  hardships  and  exposures 
of  the  hunted  and  battling  life  she  led  by  the  side  of  the 
guerrilla  chief. 

Yet  one  saw,  in  contemplating  this  change,  that  it  was, 
at  worst,  beauty  impaired  and  not  destroyed,  and  that  a  few 
months  of  quiet  happiness  might'restore  it  in  all  its  pristine 
splendor. 

"  Oh,  how  much  you  seem  to  want  repose  !  Stay  with 
me  and  rest,  oh,  poor,  storm-beaten  friend ! "  murmured 
Erminie,  gently  caressing  her  visitor. 

"I  knew  that  you  were  humane  and  tender-hearted, 
Erminie,  and  I  felt  encouraged  to  come  to  you — to  you  of 
all  the  world — in  the  hour  of  my  distress." 

"  And  you  have  not  trusted  in  vain.     I  will  do  everything 


THE    GUERRILLA'S    WIFE.  87 

in  my  power  to  serve  you,  Alberta.  Everything,  I  mean, 
not  incompatible  with  the  service  of  our  country,  and  of 
course  you  would  not  wish  me  to  compromise  my  duty  to 
her,  for  you  have  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance." 

"  Yes,  I  have  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance.  I  should  not 
have  been  here  else,"  replied  Alberta,  in  a  tone  that  grated 
unpleasantly  upon  the  nerves  of  her  hostess. 

"  Then  it  was  a  compulsory  oath,"  put  in  Elfie,  very 
dryly. 

"  It  was  a  compulsory  oath  in  so  far  as  this :  that  I 
should  not  have  been  allowed  to  cross  your  lines  without 
having  first  taken  it." 

"  '  Your  lines  ?  '  Why  do  you  not  say  our  lines,  since 
you  have  taken  the  oath,  and  are  one  of  us  ?  "  inquired 
Elfie. 

"I  spoke  from  the  force  of  habit,  that  is  all,"  answered 
Alberta. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  keep  your  oath  ?  "  inquired  Elfie. 

"  Most  assuredly  I  do.     Why  ?  " 

"  Because  you  needn't,  you  know,  if  you  don't  like  to — 
that  is  all.  It  is  a  compulsory  oath  by  your  own  showing, 
and  compulsory  oaths  are  neither  morally  nor  legally  bind- 
ing ;  at  least  they  are  not  held  to  be  so  by  persons  of  your 
way  of  thinking,  Alberta." 

"  I  hold  myself  bound  by  my  oath ;  but  it  seems  that  you 
are  mocking  me,  Elfrida.  And  whether  you  yourself  are 
lo}ral  or  otherwise,  you  are  no  true  daughter  of  the  South 
to  mock  at  a  fallen  sister,"  said  Alberta. 

"You  are  down,  I  see,  but  blest  if  I  know  whether  you 
have  '  fallen  '  down,  or  whether  you  have  crouched  down  for 
a  fatal  spring !  By  the  gleam  of  your  eyes,  Alberta,  I 
should  say  the  latter." 

"Elfie!  Elfie!  your  words  are  cruelly  unjust,  I  do 
believe.  Kernember 


88  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

Who  by  repentance  is  not  satisfied, 
Is  nor  of  heaven  nor  earth,' " 

said  Erminie,  gravely. 

"  I'll  say  no  more,  except  this  :  If  you  are  in  the  posses- 
sion of  any  state  secrets  that  it  would  profit  the  Confederacy 
to  know,  do  not  communicate  them  to  Alberta." 

"  In  the  first  place,  I  know  of  no  state  secrets  whatever. 
And  in  the  second,  I  fear  no  betrayal  of  confidence  on  the 
part  of  Alberta,"  said  Erminie,  holding  out  her  hand  in 
pledge  of  trust  to  her  sorrowing  visitor. 

Alberta  took  it  and  held  it  tightly  for  a  few  moments, 
while  an  inexplicable  expression  of  something  like  prophetic 
remorse  overshadowed  her  countenance. 

"  Don't  mind  Elfie,  dear.  She  is  rightly  named.  She  is 
an  elf — a  tricky  spirit.  She  mocks  at  everything,  even, 
alas  !  at  her  own  father  !  "  said  Erminie. 

"  I  do  not  heed  her  since  you  trust  me,"  replied  Alberta. 

"  I  am  expecting  Britomarte  every  moment ;  and  when 
she  comes,  we  four,  who  used  to  be  called  the  '  Belles  of 
Bellemont,'  and  to  be  inseparable  companions,  will  be 
together  once  more — be  together  for  the  first  time  since 
that  happy  summer  we  spent  at  your  fathers  lovely  home, 
<  The  Rainbows/  " 

"  That  happy  summer  before  the  war.  Oh  !  Heaven  ! 
'  Sorrow's  crown  of  sorrow  is  the  memory  of  happier  days,'  " 
said  the  guerrilla's  wife,  mournfully. 

"  Be  comforted.  You  are  young  yet,  and  the  happy  days 
may  return  again,"  said  Erminie,  kindly. 

"  My  father's  home  is  desolate ;  his  household  gods 
broken  and  scattered.  Federals  and  Confederates  have 
occupied  his  house  and  ravaged  his  land  in  turn.  The 
forests  have  been  levelled,  the  crops  swept  away,  the  cattle 
driven  off,  and  fences  and  buildings  destroyed  !  Desolate  ! 
desolate  !  all  is  desolate  there  ! "  said  Alberta,  in  a  sepul- 
chral tone. 


THE    GUERRILLA'S    WIFE.  89 

"  All  have'suffered  something  in  this  awful  war,  Alberta. 

But  peace  will  come  again,  and  all  will  be  well 1 

wonder  why  Britomarte  don't  make  her  appearance  ?  I  do 
not  think  I  can  wait  for  her  any  longer.  We  will  have  tea, 
and  then  you  shall  go  to  my  chamber  and  sleep  with  me, 
and  tell  me  all  your  troubles,  as  you  used  to  do  when  we 
were  girls  at  school  together,"  murmured  Erminie. 

And  she  rang  the  bell  and  ordered  the  tea  brought  in 
there. 

"  Britomarte  ?  I  read  a  very  strange  account  of  her 
having  been  shipwrecked  upon  a  desert  island  in  the  Indian 
Ocean,  and  rescued  thence  by  one  of  your  ships  of  war. 
Was  it  true  ?  " 

"  It  was  all  true — every  word  of  it,"  said  Erminie. 

"  Why  do  you  say  '  your '  ?  Why  do  you  not  say  our 
ships  of  war,  since  you  have  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance  in 
good  faith,  and  are  really  one  of  us  ?  "  dryly  questioned 
Elfie. 

"  Force  of  habit,  I  repeat,"  replied  Alberta. 

"Oh,  Elfie!  Elfie!  do  mind  what  you  are  saying!" 
pleaded  Erminie. 

"  Don't  distress  yourself,  Minie !  She  means  well,  but 
she  mistakes  me ;  that  is  all,"  said  Alberta,  resignedly. 

The  tea  service  was  brought  in  and  arranged  upon  the 
neat  table.  And  the  three  young  women  seated  themselves 
at  it. 

Erminie  presided  over  the  urn. 

"  Do  you  know,  Erminie,  that  this  is  the  first  blessed  cup 
of  tea  that  I  have  tasted  for  more  than  a  year  ? "  said 
Alberta,  as  she  raised  the  fragrant  Oolong  to  her  lips. 

"  Oh  !  what  a  privation  !  but  you  had  coft'ee  ? "  said 
Erminie. 

"  No,  nor  chocolate  !  " 

"  But  how  was  that  ?  " 

"  I  was  always  with  my  husband ;  he  had  an  indepen- 


90  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

dent  command,  and  was  what  you  call  a  guerrilla  chief;  ours 
•was  a  hunted  life,  a  Cain's  life ;  our  hand  was  against  every 
one,  and  every  one's  hand  against  us  !  Our  home  was  the 
wildwood  or  the  ruined  farm-house ;  our  occupation  war, 
rapine,  plunder.  We  were  far  enough  from  the  comforts  of 
civilized  life,  as  you  may  judge  ! " 

"  Oh,  Alberta!  what  a  fate  for  you,  delicately  reared  as 
you  have  been!  But  it  is  all  over  now,  love;  you  have 
come  in  to  us  and  all  will  be  well ! "  said  Erminie. 

"But  you  have  not  heard  my  story  yet,"  murmured 
Alberta. 

"  I  will  hear  it  very  soon ;  and  no  matter  what  it  is,  or 
has  been,  now  that  you  are  with  us,  Alberta,  I  will  hold 
you  to  my  heart  of  hearts,"  said  Erminie. 

They  finished  drinking  tea  and  arose  from  the  table. 

And  still  Britomarte  did  not  make  her  appearance. 

"  She  will  not  be  here  to-night  !  It  is  now  too  late  to 
expect  her,"  said  Erminie,  as  she  rang  for  a  servant  to  come 
and  remove  the  tea  service. 

"  Now,  Alberta,  dear,  I  will  show  you  to  our  room,  and 
— would  you  like  a  bath  ?  " 

"  Oh  yes  !  very  much,  indeed !  that,  too,  is  a  luxury  I 
have  not  enjoyed  lately." 

"  Then  I  will  order  one  got  ready.  Come,  dear,"  she 
said,  leading  the  way  from  the  library  followed  by  her  guest. 

In  a  moment,  as  from  the  impulse  of  an  after  thought, 
Erminie  stepped  back  to  speak  to  her  guest. 

"  Elfie,  dear,  you  are  my  sister ;  and  so  much  at  home 
here  that  I  know  you  will  kindly  excuse  my  absence  this 
evening." 

"  Yes,  certainly  !  But  listen  to  me  !  You  are  going  to 
have  a  tete-a-tete  with  the  wife  of  Vittorio  Corsoni,  the 
Guerrilla  Chief"'!  Hear  her  story,  since  you  must !  But  give 
as  little  credence  to  it  as  you  can  !  And — give  her  no  con- 
fidences in  return  ;  for,  mark  me,  Erminie,  she  is  a  sp}  ! " 


THE    GUERRILLA'S    WIFE.  91 

An  hour  later  Erminie  and  Alberta  sat  together  beside 
the  fire  in  the  bed  chamber  of  the  former.  And  there  the 
minister's  daughter  heard  the  terrible  story  of  the  guerrilla's 
wife — a  story  that  need  not  be  told  in  detail  here.  It  is 
sufficient  to  say,  that  Alberta  Goldsborough,  the  delicately 
nurtured  daughter  of  the  South  had  suffered  some  of  the 
most  horrible  evils  of  the  civil  war. 

Her  parents  had  just  become  reconciled  to  her  marriage 
when  her  father  was  killed  in  battle,  his  house  burned  to 
the  ground,  and  her  mother  turned  out  to  die  of  exposure 
and  privation. 

Alberta,  maddened  by  these  sufferings,  joined  her  hus- 
band in  his  wild  guerrilla  life  and  incited  him  to  the  very 
worst  of  those  depredations  that  made  his  name  a  terror  to 
all  the  Unionists  of  the  valley. 

In  one  of  his  encounters  with  the  Union  troops  he  had 
been  taken  prisoner  and  conveyed  to  Fort  W.,  where  he  had 
been  tried  and  condemned  to  death,  and  where  he  was 
then  waiting  the  execution  of  his  sentence. 

It  was  in  the  desperate  hope  of  gaining  a  pardon  for  her 
husband,  that  the  guerrilla's  wife  had  come  to  Washing- 
ton. 

Erminie,  with  tears  of  pity,  told  Alberta  that  she  would 
accompany  her  to  the  President,  to  sue  for  this  pardon. 

Accordingly,  the  next  morning  Erminie  ordered  a  carriage 
and  took  Alberta  to  the  White  House. 

But  it  happened  that  the  President  was  even  more  than 
ordinarily  engaged,  and  they  failed  to  obtain  an  interview. 

This  disappointment  excited  Alberta's  anxieties  to  the 
utmost  pitch,  and  in  her  desperation,  she  vowed,  that  if  she 
could  not  obtain  the  pardon  of  her  husband  she  would  do 
that  which  should  place  her  by  his  side  on  the  scaffold. 

These  wild  words  greatly  alarmed  Erminie,  who  with 
much  difficulty  persuaded  Alberta  to  come  home  with  her. 

There  a  surprise  met  them  in  the  shape  of  a  paragraph 


92  HO  WHEW  ON      HER. 

in  the  morning's  papers  announcing  the  escape  of  the 
famous  Free  Sword  from  Fort  W. 

The  joy  of  Alberta  was  now  as  excessive  as  her  previous 
grief  had  heen.  She  even  apologized  for  her  mad  threats. 

Erminie  persuaded  her  to  take  some  refreshment  and  to 
go  and  lie  down. 

And  in  truth  the  minister's  daughter  was  suffering  great 
anxiety  on  account  of  the  guerrilla's  wife. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

ABOUT  ALBERTA. 

The  look,  the  air  that  frets  thy  sight 

May  be  a  token  that  below 
The  soul  has  closed  in  deadly  fight 

With  some  infernal  flery  foe. 
Whose  glances  would  scorch  thy  smiling  grace. 
And  cast  the  shuddering  on  thy  face  !— A.  A.  PEOCTOH. 

ERMINIE,  in  the  midst  of  all  her  distress  about  Alberta, 
felt  also  a  growing  anxiety  concerning  Britomarte. 

Another  day  was  passing,  and  Miss  Conyers  had  not 
made  her  appearance  at  the  parsonage. 

Erminie  feared  that  she  was  ill,  and  longed  to  go  to 
her  boarding  house  to  see  her,  but  dared  not  to  leave  home 
while  so  doubtful  a  guest  as  the  guerrilla's  wife  was  under 
her  roof,  and  while  she  was  looking  for  the  arrival  of  her 
pastor  to  consult  with  him  as  to  what  should  be  done  in  the 
case  of  Alberta. 

It  is  true  that  she  might  have  sent  a  messenger  to  inquire 
after  Britomarte,  but  in  the  momentary  expectation  of  Dr. 
Sales'  call,  she  hoped  to  get  the  interview  over  in  time  to 
visit  her  friend  in  person.  She  also  hoped  that  Britomarte 
herself  might  make  her  appearance. 

So  she  waited,  and  the  day  wore  on  to  the  dinner  hour. 


ABOUT     ALBERTA.  93 

And  she  now  began  to  think  that  Alberta  was  sleeping  very 
long — unusally  long,  even  for  an  exhausted  traveller.  It 
was  more  than  four  hours  since  she  had  lain  down. 

Erminie  stole  softly  up  to  her  chamber,  noiselessly 
opened  the  door  and  peeped  in. 

The  room  was  quiet  and  shaded,  and  the  white  curtains 
were  drawn  around  the  bed  as  she  had  left  them ;  so  she 
softly  closed  the  door  and  stole  quietly  down  stairs  again. 

The  table  was  set  in  the  dining-room,  and  Catherine  was 
in  the  act  of  bringing  up  the  soup,  when  Erminie  met  her 
in  the  hall. 

"  You  may  keep  the  dinner  back  for  a  little  while,  Cath- 
erine. Madame  Corsoni  has  not  yet  waked  up,"  she  said. 

"  Very  well,  Miss/'  replied  the  girl,  turning  back  towards 
the  kitchen. 

Besides  Alberta  and  Britomarte,  a  third  subject  of 
anxiety  troubled  the  young  girl ;  for  three  days  she  had  not 
visited  the  hospitals.  On  Tuesday  she  had  waited  at  home 
all  day  long  to  take  leave  of  her  brother  before  his  de- 
parture for  the  front.  On  Wednesday  she  had  stopped  to 
see  her  guests,  Major  Fielding  and  Lieutenant  Ethel,  off  to 
their  respective  posts  of  duty ;  and  to-day  she  was  detained 
by*  the  necessity  of  watching  over  her  distracted  visitor. 
In  truth,  the  minister's  orphan  daughter  had  enough  upon 
her  hands  just  now. 

Another  hour  passed,  and  Erminie  began  to  grow  uneasy, 
and  Elfie  impatient,  and  Frederica  rather  cross. 

Again  Erminie  stole  up  to  the  room  and  peeped  through 
the  door.  No  change  since  she  was  there  last.  Curtains 
drawn,  room  cool,  shady  and  quiet.  She  returned  to  the 
library  and  said,  "  We  will  wait  a  little  longer.  I  do  not 
like  to  wake  her  up,  or  to  eat  dinner  without  her." 

And  so,  to  the  disgust  of  Elfie,  the  annoyance  of  Cathe- 
rine and  the  indignation  of  Frederica,  the  dinner  was  still 
kept  back. 


94  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

"There,"  said  Elfie,  "she  has  been  sleeping  six  hours 
now!  The  clock  has  struck  seven.  She  ought  to  be  waked 
up  for  her  own  sake." 

"I  will  go  and  look  at  her.  If  she  is  still  sleeping 
quietly,  I  will  not  wake  her,  but  I  will  have  the  dinner 
served  at  once.  If  however  she  is  awake  and  feeling  well, 
I  will  get  her  up  and  help  her  to  dress." 

So  once  again  Errninie  went  up  stairs  and  entered  her 
chamber. 

All  shady,  cool  and  quiet  as  before. 

She  stole  to  the  bedside  and  drew  the  curtains. 

The  bed  was  empty. 

"  She  has  got  up  and  gone  to  the  bath-room.  She  was 
always  a  duck  in  her  love  of  laving  in  water,"  thought 
Erminie,  feeling  ;no  sort  of  uneasiness  at  her  guest's 
absence  from  the  chamber. 

But  to  assure  herself  of  the  truth  of  her  own  surmise, 
she  went  to  see  if  the  bath-rooin  door  was  shut.  She^  found 
the  door  wide  open  and  the  room  empty. 

Perplexed  and  anxious,  she  made  a  hasty  tour  through 
all  the  rooms  on  that  floor,  then  ran  up  to  the  story  above 
and  searched  the  rooms  there,  then  up  into  the  attic  and 
searched  that.  « 

"I  know  she  is  deranged,  and  she  may  be  lurking  some- 
where about  the  house  with  a  fit  upon  her,"  said  Erminie, 
as  she  hurried  from  place  to  place  in  her  vain  quest. 

But  the  guerrilla's  wife  was  nowhere  to  be  found. 

"It  cannot  be  that  she  is  in  any  of  the  rooms  below. 
Some  of  us  must  have  seen  her,"  reflected  Erminie,  as  she 
ran  down  the  three  flights  of  stairs  to  the  first  floor. 

"Well,  has  Alberta  finished  her  Rip  Van  Winkle  sleep 
yet  ?  "  inquired  Elfie. 

"  Yes  ;  but  I  cannot  find  her.  I  have  looked  in  her 
room  and  in  all  the  other  rooms  above  and  she  is  nowhere 
to  be  seen  in  any  of  them.  I  think  she  must  have  come 
down  here." 


ABOUT     ALBERTA.  96 

"  Of  course  she  must  if  she  isn't  up  stairs ;  but  I  haven't 
seen  or  heard  anything  of  her.  I  will  go  and  hunt  her  up, 
while  you  order  the  dinner  put  on  the  table.  I  am  as  hun- 
gry as  an  unhurt  hero  after  a  fight,"  said  Elfie,  dancing  out 
of  the  room  in  search  of  the  guest. 

Dinner  was  served  and  only  waited  the  reappearance  of 
Elfie.  But  fifteen  minutes  passed,  when  she  came  into  the 
dining  room,  flushed,  excited  und  almost  indignant. 

"  I  can't  find  her.  She  is  neither  in  the  house  nor  the 
garden,  that  is  certain.  And  it  is  my  opinion  she  has  taken 
French  leave  ! " 

"  Taken  French  leave  !  "  echoed  Erminie,  in  surprise. 

"  Yes,  it  would  be  just  like  her,"  said  Elfie,  who,  since 
the  escape  of  Vittorio,  had  lost  much  of  her  pity  for  Al- 
berta. 

"  I  can  easily  ascertain.  I  will  go  and  see  if  her  bonnet 
and  mantle  are  in  their  places,"  said  Erminie. 

And  once  more  the  patient  girl  ran  up  stairs  to  examine 
the  chamber  that  had  been  occupied  by  her  guest. 

But  bonnet,  mantle,  parasol  and  reticule  were  all  gone. 

Not  a  doubt  now  remained  upon  the  mind  of  Erminie 
that  the  guerrilla's  wife  had  gone  away.  But  whether  to 
return  again  Erminie  could  not  decide.  While  she  stood 
perplexed  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  a  scrap  of  paper  at- 
tached to  the  toilet  pin-cushion  caught  her  eye.  She  went 
and  unfastened  it,  and  read  the  pencilled  words  : 

"  Thanks  and  blessings,  and  good-bye." 

And  now  she  felt  assured  that  Alberta  had  indeed  gone 
to  return  no  more. 

But  for  Erminie's  compassion  for  her  suffering  state,  the 
absence  of  the  guerrilla's  wife  would  have  been  felt  as  a 
great  relief.  But  Erminie  had  no  time  now  to  anatyze  her 
contradictory  emotions.  She  hastened  down  to  the  dining- 
room,  and  showed  the  scrap  of  paper,  with  its  six  words  of 
adieu,  to  Elfie. 


96  H  O  W      H  E     \V  O  N      H  E  E  . 

"  I  felt  sure  she  was  gone,"  was  the  comment  of  Miss 
Fielding;  "  and  now  I  hope  we  shall  have  our  dinner/'  she 
added. 

f  Certainly,"  said  Erminie. 

"But  no,"  said  Fate;  for  at  the  moment  the  front  door 
bell  rang  sharply,  and  in  a  few  minutes  Dr.  Sales  was  ushered 
into  the  drawing-room  and  his  carl  was  brought  to  Erminie. 

"  El  fie  dear,  go  on  with  your  dinner;  don't  wait  for  me," 
said  Miss  Rosenthal,  as  she  arose  from  the  table,  and  passed 
into  the  drawing-room  to  receive  her  visitor. 

"Your  message  only  reached  me  a  few  minutes  ago,  my 
dear,  and  I  came  away  directly  to  answer  it,"  said  the  rev- 
erend gentleman,  rising  and  shaking  hands  with  the  orphan. 

"  Thank  you,  Dr.  Sales.  I  ventured  to  send  for  you  on  a 
very  important  matter,  thai*  has  perplexed  and  distressed 
me  very  much ;  and  not  the  less  because  I  could  not  clearly 
see  my  own  duty  in  the  affair.  The  absence  of  my  brother 
and  Major  Fielding  made  it  necessary  that  I  should  trouble 
you  for  counsel." 

"  My  dear  child,  you  know  that  I  am  always  happy  to 
serve  you.  You  do  indeed  look  as  if  you  were  worried 
almost  to  death  !  What  is  the  matter,  my  child  ?  " 

"Oh,  Dr.  Sales  !  I  have  had  such  a  terrible  fright ! "  ex- 
claimed Erminie,  on  the  brink  of  bursting  into  tears,  but 
controlling  herself. 
-     "  Come  !  tell  me  all  about  it." 

"  I  hardly  understand  it  myself.  I  may  have  been  on  the 
eve  of  witnessing  one  of  the  most  appalling  crimes  that 
ever  was  perpetrated  !  one  of  the  most  tremendous  misfor- 
tunes that  could  befall  our  country ! "  exclaimed  Erminie, 
shaking  violently  with  agitation  at  the  bare  memory  of  the 
threats  in  the  President's  anteroom. 

"  Compose  yourself,  my  dear  ;  and,  in  order  to  do  so,  avoid 
using  strong  language,  which  only  excites  you,"  said  the 
clergyman,  laying  his  hand  solemnly  on  the  bowed  head  of 
the  girl. 


ABOUTALBERTA.  97 

"  But  you  see  I  cannot  recur  to  it  without  horror." 

"  Is  it  necessary  to  recur  to  it  at  all,  my  child." 

"  Oh,  yes,  else  I  had  not  sent  for  you.  I  have  a  solemn 
duty  to  perform  in  the  matter,  and  do  not  see  clearly  how 
to  do  it.  And  I  want  your  counsel." 

"  Then  tell  me  all  about  it,  my  dear.  Come,  now,  quietly 
like  a  Christian  child,"  said  the  clergyman,  in  a  soothing 
manner,  and  speaking  with  much  more  calmness  than  he 
really  felt,  for  the  words  of  Eruiinie  had  surprised  and 
alarmed  him. 

Erminie  made  a  great  effort  to  control  her  agitation,  and 
then  hegan  to  tell  him  of  the  visit  of  Alberta  Corsorii. 

And  Dr.  Sales  put  a  constraint  upon  himself,  and  listened 
composedly,  without  making  a  single  comment  upon  the 
narrative,  lest  he  might  increase  the  excitement  under 
which  his  companion  was  laboring. 

Erminie  faithfully  related  all  that  had  occurred — the  visit 
to  the  President's!  house,  the  muttered  threats  of  the 
guerrilla's  wife,  "  /  will  have  my  husband  pardoned,  or  do 
that  which  shall  place  me  on  the  scaffold  by  his  side,"  her 
own  alarm  at  hearing  these  awful  words,  the  difficulty 
with  which  she  got  the  desperate  woman  out  of  the  White 
House,  the  subsequent  apology  made  by  the  woman  for  her 
wicked  threats,  the  paragraph  relating  to  the  escape  of 
Yittorio  Corsoni,  the  excessive  joy  of  Alberta,  and  her 
secret  flight  from  the  house. 

"' Now,"  said  Erminie,  in  conclusion,  "Alberta's  apology 
for  her  sinful  threats  seemed  very  earnest  and  might  have 
been  quite  sincere,  and  but  for  her  gloomy  looks,  and  mut- 
tered threats  and  strange  behavior,  I  should  have  received 
it  without  a  doubt." 

The  clergyman  slowly  shook  his  head,  but  made  no 
remark. 

"  My  mind  has  been  distracted  with  grief  and  perplex- 
ity," continued  Eruainie;  for  on  the  one  hand  it  seems 
6 


98  H  O  W      II  E      W  O  N      H  E  R  . 

beyond  measure  cruel  and  treacherous  to  lodge  information 
against  a  poor,  unfortunate  woman  who  has  sought  the 
refuge  of  my  home,  who  may  be  quite  innocent  of  any 
wrong  intention,  and  who  may  suffer  great  injustice  from  a 
mere  suspicion.  And  on  the  other  hand,  the  probability  of 
her  insanity,  and  the  bare  possibility  of  such  an  atrocious — 
oh,  I  cannot  speak  the  word  !  But  you  see  I  feel  as  if  I 
dare  not  withhold  this  information  from,  the  authorities," 
exclaimed  Erminie,  shuddering. 

"  ~No,  you  dare  not  withhold  it,"  said  the  clergyman.  "  It 
is  your  solemn  duty  to  go  to  the  Provost  Marshal,  and  tell 
him  exactly  what  you  have  told  me.  It  will  be  for  him  to 
judge  whether  there  is  sufficient  cause  for  pursuing  and 
arresting  this  miserable  young  woman/*' 

"  It  is  one  of  the  most  repugnant  duties  I  ever  had  to 
perform.  Oh,  the  office  of  a  spy  or  an  informer  is  very, 
very  abhorrent  to  my  feelings.  And  she  was  my  old 
schoolmate,  and  friend  and  guest.  Ah,  it  is  very  bitter  !  " 
said  Erminie,  trembling  with  emotion. 

"  I  know  how  hard  it  is,  my  child.  But  if  you  should  not 
perform  this  duty,  think  what  might  happen.  Erminie,  my 
dear,  next  to  our  duty  to  God  is  our  duty  to  our  countr}',  and 
neither  friends,  guests  nor  kinsfolk  should  stand  between  ua 
and  that.  Now,  go  get  your  bonnet  on,  my  child,  and  I  will 
myself  attend  you  to  the  Provost  Marshal's  office  to  lodge  this 
information,"  said  Dr.  Sales. 

And  Erminie,  feeling  as  miserably  as  she  had  ever  felt  in 
her  life,  went  obediently  to  prepare  herself,  thanking 
Heaven,  iu  the  meantime,  that  Alberta  was  no  longer  in 
her  house. 

When  she  was  quite  ready  she  came  down.  And  she 
and  her  pastor  set  out  for  the  Provost  Marshal's  office. 

Meanwhile  Elfie  waited  for  her  hostess.  But  when  she 
gaw  Erminie,  attended  by  Dr.  Sales,  leave  the  house,  she 
lost  all  patience,  exclaiming  : 


ABOUT     ALBERTA.  99 

"  Well,  really,  people  iu  this  place  never  seem  to  know 
when  other  people  ought  to  eat.  Catherine,  bring  in  the 
pudding."  Elfie  finished  her  dinner,  and  rang  the  bell  for 
the  parlor  maid.  Catherine  came  in. 

"  Here,  you  remove  these  things,  and  tell  Frederica  that 
Miss  Eosenthal  has  gone  out  without  her  dinner,  and  direct 
her  to  have  a  young  chicken  ready  for  the  gridiron,  and  to 
keep  the  kettle  on  the  fire  and  make  some  toast.  Miss 
Eosenthal  having  misse  1  her  dinner,  will  require  something 
warm  with  her  tea." 

"  Very  well,  Miss,"  answered  acquiescent  Catherine. 

And  Elfie  arose  rather  impatiently  and  passed  into  the 
library,  where  the  gas  was  now  lighted,  and  flung  herself 
into  one  of  the  easy  chairs,  exclaiming  crossly : 

"  Plague  take  the  people,  I  do  wish  they  would  let  poor 
Minie  have  some  peace  of  her  life.  From  her  early  rising 
to  her  late  retiring,  she  has  not  one  hour  to  herself,  poor 
child.  She  is  at  everybody's  beck  and  call.  And  between 
the  wounded  soldiers  in  the  hospitals  and  the  refugees  from 
the  South,  and  the  contrabands,  and — bless  patience — yea, 
the  guerrillas,  too,  she  is  harrassed  almost  to  death,  poor 
girl.  And  now  where  on  earth  has  the  old  parson  taken 
her  ?  I  declare  she  doesn't  even  get  time  to  eat !  " 

So  grumbled  Elfie,  unable  to  settle  herself  to  any  sort  of 
employment.  After  awhile  she  again  rang  the  bell,  and 
brought  Catherine  to  her  presence. 

"  You  may  lay  the  cloth  for  tea  in  this  room.  It  is  more 
comfortable  than  the  dining-room.  And  you  must  have 
everything  ready  for  Miss  Eosenthal  by  the  time  she 
returns." 

"  What  time  do  you  expect  her,  please,  Miss  Fielding  ?  " 
inquired  the  girl. 

"  I  expect  her  every  moment,  for  it  is  after  eight  o'clock, 
though  it  is  very  possible  she  may  not  be  in  before  ten,  but 
you  do  as  I  bid  you,"  replied  Elfie, 


100  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

And  as  she  was  fully  recognized  as  commanding  officer  in 
the  absence  of  Erminie,  her  orders  were  immediately 
obeyed. 

The  cloth  was  no  sooner  spread  than  Erminie's  ring  was 
heard  and  answered. 

Erminie  lingered  at  the  hall  door  for  a  moment,  trying  to 
persuade  Dr.  Sales,  who  had  attended  her  home,  to  come  in 
and  rest  himself  before  going  farther.  But  the  clergyman 
pleaded  an  engagement  and  bade  her  good  night. 

And  Erminie  came  into  the  library. 

"  Well,  upon  my  word !  But  I  suppose  angels  can  do 
without  food  or  sleep,  and  that  is  the  secret  of  your  living 
and  working  without  either,"  exclaimed  Elfie,  as  she  arose 
and  made  Erminie  sit  in  the  easy  chair  and  rest  herself, 
while  she  untied  and  removed  her  bonnet,  and  unpinned 
and  took  off  her  shawl. 

Erminie,  instead  of  answering,  burst  into  tears,  and  wept 
softly  behind  her  pocket  handkerchief. 

"  Here,  Catherine,  take  Miss  Rosenthal's  bonnet  and 
shawl  up  stairs,  and  put  them  away.  And  you  needn't 
come  in  again  until  I  ring,"  said  Elfie  handing  the  articles 
named  to  the  parlor  maid,  who  was  still  engaged  in  arrang- 
ing the  table. 

The  girl  took  the  things  and  left  the  room. 

And  then  Elfie  caressing  Erminie,  inquired  : 

"  Where  have  you  been  ?  " 

"  To  the  Provost  Marshal's  office,  to  lay  before  him  cer- 
tain information  regarding  poor  Alberta.  Dr.  Sales  said 
that  I  must  do  it,  and  took  me  there,"  replied  Erminie, 
weeping. 

"  But  what  did  the  Provost  Marshal  say  or  do  to  set  you 
grieving  so  ?  "  demanded  Elfie. 

"Oh,  nothing  at  all.  He  put  me  upon  my  oath,  and 
then  took  down  my  statement  regarding  poor  Alberta's 
visit  here  and  to  the  President's  house,  and  all  that  hap- 


ABOUT     ALBERTA.  101 

pened  there,"  replied  Erminie,  remembering  that  Elfie 
knew  nothing  about  the  episode  of  the  concealed  revolver. 

"  And  what  then  ?  " 

"  Tlie  Provost  Marshal  thanked  me  for  the  information 
given,  and  requested  me  not  to  speak  of  it  to  others.  So, 
Elfie  dear,  let  us  drop  the  subject,  -f  you  please." 

"  But  how  will  the  Provost  Marshal  act  upon  your  infor- 
mation ?  " 

"  I  do  not  know.  They  never  tell  anything.  They  hear 
all  that  they  can,  but  they  tell  nothing.  It  is  not  their 
business  to  do  so." 

"Then  I  don't  see  what  there  was  in  the  interview  to 
distress  you  so  much,"  said  Elfie,  rising  and  touching  the 
bell. 

"  Oh,  my  dear,  it  is  this.  Though  I  have  done  only  my 
duty — a  most  painful  duty  to  me — I  feel  like  an  informer 
and  a  spy.  Oh,  Elfie,  this  awful  war,  that  upsets  not  only 
all  material  but  all  moral  life  ! "  wept  Erminie. 

"  Heaven  bless  your  tender  conscience  !  You  seem  to  me 
to  have  done  your  duty  by  everybody.  You  didn't  invite 
the  guerrilla's  wife  to  your  house.  She  walked  in  upon 
you,  told  you  that  she  had  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance,  and 
you  received  her  kindly  and  treated  her  well.  She  left  you 
under  such  suspicious  circumstances — I  know  they  must 
have  been  suspicious,  else  you  would  have  had  nothing  to 
tell  the  Provost  Marshal — that  your  pastor,  on  hearing  of 
it,  insisted  that  you  should  lodge  information  in  the  proper 
quarters,  and  actually  took  you  off  to  do  it.  So  why  you 
should  reproach  yourself  /  don't  know. — Yes,  Catherine, 
tea  immediately." 

This  last  to  the  parlor  maid  who  answered  the  bell. 

Tea  was  soon  served. 

"And  now  I  hope  you  will  try  to  eat  a  little.  Lord 
knows,  between  the  saints  and  the  sinners,  you  can  scarcely 
call  your  body  or  soul  your  own,"  said  Elfie,  as  she  sat 


102  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

down  and  began  to  wait  on  Erminie — pouring  our  her  tea 
and  placing  the  wing  and  breast  of  the  broiled  chicken  on 
her  plate. 

"  Thanks,  Elfie ;  but  help  yourself,  my  dearest,"  urged 
Erminie. 

"  Oh,  I  can't  eat.  I  had  my  dinner  so  late  and  ate  then 
so  heartily,  having  fasted  so  long,  that  I  can't  touch  a 
morsel  now.  I  will  have  a  cup  of  tea,  however,"  said 
Elfie. 

"Britomarte  has  not  been  here  this  afternoon?"  in- 
quired Erminie. 

"No." 

"  I  am  very  uneasy  about  her." 

"  Oh,  of  course,"  grumbled  Elfie.  "  Some  one  or  other 
of  your  friends  are  always  making  you  uneasy,  plague  take 
them ! " 

"  But,  Elfie,  I  am  afraid  she  is  ill." 

"  Mrs.  Burton  would  have  sent  you  word." 

"  Yes,  I  hope  she  would.  And  then,  to  be  sure,  I  have 
no  more  reason  to  wonder  at  her  mysterious  absence  than 
my  poor  soldiers  have  to  wonder  at  mine.  Oh,  Elfie,  think 
of  it !  I  never  missed  a  day  visiting  them  before,  and  now 
three  days  have  passed  since  I  have  been  to  see  them. 
What  will  the  poor  fellows  think  ?  "  sighed  Erminie. 

"  Whatever  they  think,  it  will  not  be  to  the  effect  that 
you  are  neglecting  them.  Perhaps  they  fancy  that  you  are 
a  little  worn  with  your  exertions  in  their  behalf,  and  they 
hope  to  see  you  soon  again." 

"  Oh,  Elfie !  many  a  poor  fellow  that  I  hoped  to  see  again 
has  passed  away  in  these  three  days,  I  know.  They  die 
every  day.  No  day  do  I  go  without  missing  some  familiar 
face,"  sighed  Erminie. 

"  See  here,  my  dear  !  your  pretty  shoulders  are  tolerably 
fine  ones  for  a  young  woma-n.  But  I  doubt  if  they  are  so 
strong  as  to  be  able  to  bear  the  burdens  of  all  the  world. 


ABOUT     BRITOMARTE.  103 

You  have  done  what  you  could  for  the  brave  fellows.  Con- 
tinue to  do  what  you  can  ;  and  for  the  rest  trust  them  to 
their  Heavenly  Father  and  ours,  you  weeping  philosopher," 
said  Elfie. 

"  That  is  good  advice,  dear ;  and  I  will  try  to  follow  it. 
I  am  no  weeping  philosopher,  Elfie.     But  to-night  I  believe  .. 
I  am  despondent  because  broken  down  by  the  events  of  the 
last  twenty-four  hours." 

"  Then  you  must  go  to  bed  and  try  to  get  some  sleep. 
In  the  morning  you  will  feel  better." 

"  I  think  I  will  go,  Elfie  ;  and  I  do  hope  I  shall  feel  bet- 
ter ;  for  to-morrow  we  must  make  our  rounds  of  the  hospi- 
tals, and  also  look  up  Britomarte,  unless  she  should  first 
make  her  appearance  here,"  said  Erminie,  rising  from  the 
tea  table. 

And  soon  after  this  the  girls  retired. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

ABOUT    BRITOMARTE. 

Your  wisdom  may  declare, 
That  womanhood  is  proved  the  best, 
By  golden  brooch  and  glossy.vest. 

That  mincing  ladies  wear. 
Yet  itlis  proved  and  was  of- old, 
Anear  as  well— I  dare  to  hold 

By  truth,  or  by  despair. — E.  B.  BROWNINO. 

EARLY  the  following  morning  Erminie  arose  very  mu,. 
refreshed  and  invigorated  by  a  good  night's  rest. 

After    breakfast,    accompanied    by   Elfie,    she   went  the 
rounds  of  the  hospitals. 

At   two   o'clock  she  sent  Elfie  home,   while  she  herself 
went  to  Britomarte's  boarding-house. 

A  sickening  presentiment  of  evil  overcame  her  as  she  en- 
tered the  little  gate,  walked  up  to  the  door  and  rapped. 


104  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

Mrs.  Burton  opened  the  door. 

"  Oh,  Miss  Kosenthal !  how  do  you  do  ?  I  have  been 
hoping  that  you  would  call.  Please  to  come  in,"  said  the 
mistress  of  the  house. 

"  Mrs.  Burton,  how  is  Miss  Conyers  ?  Is  she  quite  well  ?  " 
anxiously  inquired  Erminie,  as  she  followed  the  widow  into 
the  little  parlor. 

"Why,  my  darling  child,  she  is  gone,"  answered  Mrs. 
Burton,  as  she  sat  a  chair  for  her  visitor. 

"  Gone  !  "  echoed  Erminie,  in  dismay,  sinking  into  the 
offered  seat,  and  gazing  at  the  speaker. 

"  Yes,  my  dear — gone.  She  has  been  gone  these  three 
days." 

"  And  without  taking  leave  of  me ! "  said  Erminie,  in  a 
sorrowful  voice. 

"  My  dear,  she  left  a  letter  for  you.  And  I  ought  to  have 
sent  it  over  before  this.  But  you  see  I  had  nobody  to  send 
it  by  but  one  of  my  daughters.  And  we  are  all  so  busy 
working  upon  a  lot  of  havelocks  that  must  be  finished  by 
Saturday,  that  we  can't  take  time  to  eat  or  sleep,  or  hardly 
to  say  our  prayers.  But  I  did  mean  to  steal  time  to  bring 
the  letter  over  to  you  this  blessed  evening.  I  will  go  and 
get  it  now,"  said  the  widow,  leaving  the  room. 

"  Gone  !  1  can  scarcely  realize  it.  Though  indeed  she 
has  often  hinted  to  me  that  she  might  leave  the  city  at  any 
moment,"  said  Erminie,  as  she  arose  to  receive  the  letter 
from  the  landlady  when  the  latter  returned  to  the  room  and 
put  it  into  her  hand. 

Britomarte's  letter  was  dated  on  the  very  evening  of  the 
day  on  which'  Justin's  regiment  had  marched.  It  was  written 
in  Miss  Conyers'  usually  firm  and  clear  chirograph  y,  and  ran 
thus  : 

"  MY  DEAR  AND  GENTLE  FRIEND  : — Duty,  or  what  I  be- 
lieve to  be  such,  calls  me  hence  very  suddenly.  I  have  no 


ABOUT     BRTTOMARTE.  105 

time  to  bid  you  farewell  in  person,  even  if  I  could  trust  my- 
self to  such  a  parting  interview.  From  time  to  time  I  will 
write  and  let  you  know  where  and  how  I  am.  I  hope  that 
you  also  will  keep  me  advised  of  your  well-being.  For  the 
present,  a  letter  addressed  '  B.  C.,  Baltimore  Post  Office,  till 
called  for,'  will  find  me.  Give  my  love  to  Elfie.  And,  dear 
and  good  Erminie,  accept  my  love  and  my  prayers,  which 
are  always  offered  up  for  you.  BKITOMARTE." 

When  Erminie  had  finished  reading  this  letter,  she 
dropped  again  into  her  chair,  covered  her  face  with  her  hands 
and  wept. 

Mrs.  Burton  brought  her  a  glass  of  water,  saying : 

"  Drink  this,  my  dear  ;  it  will  revive  you." 

Erminie  drank  the  water,  and  returned  the  tumbler  to  the 
landlady,  and  said : 

"Dear  Mrs.  Burton,  please  tell  me  all  about  it.  She 
went  away  the  evening  she  wrote  this  letter,  or  the  next 
morning  ?" 

"  The  same  evening,  my  dear.  The  evening  of  the  day 
on  which  the  brigade  marched,"  said  the  widow,  placing  the 
empty  tumbler  on  the  table,  and  taking  the  chair  nearest 
her  visitor. 

"  Yes  ?  "  exclaimed  Erminie,  in  tearful  eagerness. 

"  You  never  heard  of  anything  so  sudden  in  your  life ! 
You  know,  your  old  negro  man,  Uncle  Bob,  had  been  here 
in  the  morning  to  bring  her  a  note." 

"  It  was  from  me." 

"  Well ;  so  she  went  away  with  Uncle  Bob,  and  staid 
away  all  day." 

"  She  was  with  me." 

"  At  seven  o'clock,  wrhile  we  were  at  tea — I  and  my  girls 
— she  came  in.  I  jumped  up  to  make  fresh  tea  for  her;  but 
she  stopped  me,  saying  that  she  would  take  nothing  then, 
but  might  make  a  cup  for  herself  by  and  by.  And  so  she 


106  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

hurried  through  the  parlor  and  up  into  her  own  bedroom. 
She  looked  very  much  agitated,  and  that  is  the  sacred  truth. 
I  spoke  of  her  appearance  to  my  girls  ;  and  they  thought  it 
was  because  she  was  grieving  after  some  friends  who  might 
have  gone  with  the  brigade." 

"  Yes,  that  was  it,"  said  Erminie,  frankly. 

"  Later  in  the  evening  she  came  down.  I  and  my  girls 
were  still  at  work.  I  thought  she  wanted  her  tea,  and  again 
I  got  up  to  make  her  some ;  but  again  she  stopped  me,  saying 
something  like  this  : 

"  <  Mrs.  Burton,  I  am  about  to  leave  you — I  must  do  so 
to-night.  Would  you  mind  sending  Johnny  to  call  a  car- 
riage for  me  ? ' 

(  "  Now  Johnny  is  my  nephew,  on  a  visit  to  me  at  pres- 
ent.) I  looked  at  her  in  perfect  astonishment  to  hear  her 
talk  of  leaving  me  so  suddenly  at  that  hour  of  the  night. 
And  when  I  looked  I  saw  her  face  was  as  white  as  marble 
and  nearly  as  hard  in  its  expression  of  settled  determina- 
tion. 

"'My  dear  Miss  Conyers,'  I  said,  'I  hope  you  have 
heard  no  bad  news  that  takes  you  away  to-night.  Hadn't 
you  better  wait  till  to-morrow  ?  It  is  very  late  to  leave  the 
house.' " 

" '  I  must  go  nevertheless.  Can  you  let  Johnny  call  a 
carriage  for  me  ? '  she  said. 

"  I  declare  I  was  so  struck  all  in  a  heap  that  I  hardly 
knew  whether  I  was  standing  on  my  head  or  my  heels. 
Johnny  was  drawing  pictures  on  the  slate  by  my  side. 
And  the  livery  stable  was  no  great  distance  off;  so  I  said 
'  Yes,'  and  sent  the  boy  right  away  to  call  the  carriage. 

"  And  she  went  up  stairs  to  put  on  her  things,  and  I 
went  down  into  the  kitchen  to  make  her  a  cup  of  tea  and  a 
round  of  toast;  for  I  knew  I  should  have  time  to  do  it, 
because  the  livery  men  would  be  at  least  twenty  minutes 
getting  the  carriage  ready;  and  the  kettle  was  already 


ABOUT     BRITOMARTE.  107 

boiling ;  and  I  was  determined  she  shouldn't  go  out  of  my 
house  without  her  tea.  So,  sure  enough  in  about  ten  min- 
utes I  had  it  all  ready,  and  took  it  up  on  the  waiter,  and 
set  it  on  the  parlor  table.  She  was  sitting  there,  with  her 
bonnet  and  shawl  on,  and  her  traveling  basket  in  her  hand. 

"'Try  and  eat  a  bit,  my  dear,'  I  said.  'You  will  have 
plenty  of  time.  The  carriage  won't  be  here  for  ten  minutes 
yet.' 

"  She  smiled  and  thanked  me  her  own  gracious  way,  that 
always  reminds  me  of  a  princess,  though  I  never  saw  one, 
and  she  sat  down  and  drank  the  tea  and  ate  the  toast,  and 
by  that  time  the  carriage  came,  little  Johnny  riding  on  the 
box  with  the  driver. 

"  So  she  got  up  and  sent  the  driver  up  to  her  room  to 
bring  her  trunk  down  ;  and  while  he  was  doing  that,  she 
took  out  her  little  purse  and  paid  me  the  week's  board, 
though  it  wanted  two  days  of  being  due.  And  then  she 
gave  me  this  letter  for  you. 

"  And  when  the  man  had  put  her  trunk  on  the  carriage, 
she  bade  us  all  good-bye. 

"'But  where  are  you  going,  my  dear?'  I  asked,  as  I 
held  her  hand,  unwilling — oh,  yes,  the  Lord  knows  how 
unwilling  to  see  her  go. 

"  '  To  Baltimore,'  she  answered. 

"  '  But  there  is  no  train  to-night,'  I  said. 

" '  I  shall  go  by  the  very  first  train  in  the  morning.  In 
order  to  make  sure  of  it,  I  shall  stop  to-night  at  the  best 
hotel  that  I  can  find  nearest  the  station.' 

"  And  so,  kissing  me  and  thanking  me  for  what  she  called 
my  motherly  kindness  to  her,  she  went  out. 

"  '  But  you  will  write  and  let  us  know  how  you  are  ? '  I 
called  after  her. 

"'Yes,  yes,'  she  answered,  waiving  her  hand  from  the 
carriage  which  was  then  driving  off." 

The  widow  ceased  to  speak,  and  Erminie,  leaning  her 
head  upon  her  hand,  sighed  deeply. 


1.08  HOW      HE     WON     HEK. 

"  And  is  that  all  you  can  tell  me,  Mrs.  Burton  ? n 
inquired  Miss  Eosenthal. 

"  Every  bit,  my  dear." 

"  You  haven't  heard  a  word  from  her  since  ?  " 

"  Not  one  word." 

"  Have  you  the  least  idea  of  what  she  intends  to  do  in 
Baltimore  ?  " 

"  Not  the  least.  She  went  away  so  suddenly  that  I 
hadn't  time  to  question  her  much,  even  if  she  would  have 
submitted  to  be  questioned.  Dear  me,  it  all  passed  like  a 
flash  of  lightning.  Before  I  could  realize  that  s-he  was 
going,  she  was  gone ! "  said  the  widow.  Then,  after  a 
short  pause,  she  inquired  :  "  Have  you  any  suspicion  what 
she  intends  to  do,  Miss  Rosenthal  ?  " 

"  Indeed  no.  I  wish  to  Heaven  I  had ! "  answered 
Erminie,  mournfully. 

And  then,  finding  that  she  could  learn  no  more  to  throw 
light  on  the  mystery  of  Britomarte's  departure,  she  arose, 
thanked  the  widow  for  the  information  given,  and  left  the 
house. 

On  reaching  the  parsonage,  Erminie  found  luncheon 
ready,  and  Elfie  waiting  for  her. 

"  Minie,"  said  that  impatient  young  lady,  "if  you  are  of 
the  heavens,  heavenly,  and  can  live  without  eating,  I'll 
have  you  know  that  I'm  '  of  the  earth,  earthy,'  and  can't  do 
without  victuals.  It  was  seven  o'clock  when  we  breakfasted, 
and  now  it  is  three." 

"  My  dearest  Elfie,  always  eat  when  you  are  hungry,  and 
don't  wait  for  me.  I  have  been  to  Britomarte's  boarding 
house,"  said  Erminie. 

"  Yes,  I  know,  and  found  her  all  right,  I  dare  say." 

"  I  found  her  place  empty.     She  has  left !  " 

" '  Left ! '  "  echoed  Elfie  in  astonishment. 

«  Yes.     Oh,  what  a  pity  ! " 

"  But  where  has  she  gone  ?  " 


ABOUT     BRITOMARTE.  109 

"  To  Baltimore  ;  but  to  what  part  of  the  city  we  do  not 
know.  She  gave  no  address,  but  simply  '  TV.  TV.,  Balti- 
more post  office.'  Here  is  the  letter  she  left  me.  The 
landlady  could  tell  me  little  more  than  the  letter,"  said 
Erininie,  handing  it  to  Elfie. 

"  l  My  heyes  ! '  as  the  cockneys  observe,  here  is  a  go ! 
Have  you  any  idea  what  she  is  going  to  do,  Erminie  ?  " 

"  Not  the  slightest ! " 

"  I  have,  then  ! " 

"What?    What?" 

"She  is  going  into  the  army  ! " 

"Oh,  Elfie!  never!" 

"  I  tell  you  s"he  is !  I  am  just  as  sure  of  it  as  I  am  of 
my  own  life  !  Else  why  should  she  go  off  without  taking 
leave  of  us  ?  " 

i£  Why,  indeed !  "  repeated  Erminie. 

"You  see  she  didn't  want  to  be  cross-questioned,  as  to 
her  intentions." 

"  She  might  not  have  wished  to  be  cross-questioned ;  and 
yet  she  might  have  had  no  such  intention  as  you  suspect," 
said  Erminie. 

"  Bosh  !  I  tell  you,  Erminie,  she  has  gone  into  the  army. 
You  know  what  her  sentiments  are  !  You  know  what  her 
spirit,  courage,  and  independence  are  !  You  know  that  she 
is  not  responsible  to  any  human  being  in  the  world  for  her 
actions!  And  you  also  know  what  a  consummate  actress 
she  is,  and  how  perfectly  she  would  enact  the  part  of  a 
soldier.  And  finally,  Erminie,  you  know,  for  you  have  often 
heard  her  declare,  that  she  will  keep  the  laws  of  God  and 
man,  and  in  other  respects  do  as  she  pleases  !  " 

"  Yes,  yes,  yes  !  I  know  all  that  you  have  said.  But, 
oh !  Heaven  forbid  that  she  should  have  done  as  you 
suppose,"  sighed  Erminie. 

"  She  has  done  the  deed  !  And  neither  you  nor  I  could 
prevent  her  from  doing  it !  So  now  come  sit  down  and 


HO  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

have  some  luncheon !  Pap's  gone,  Ethel's  gone,  Justin's 
gone,  Alberta's  gone,  (but  she's  a  good  riddance  of  bad 
rubbish  !)  and  now  Britomarte's  gone  !  All  are  gone  but 
me  !  But  take  comfort,  Minie,  dear  !  Though  all  the  rest 
are  gone,  I  will  never  go  !  I  will  never  leave  you  alone  !  " 
said  Elfie,  with  some  real  feeling,  and  with  full  faith  that 
she  could  keep  the  promise  she  had  made. 

But  Elfie  "reckoned  without  her  host."  Destiny,  had 
ordained  that  she  should  be  torn  away  from  her  friend  and 
carried  off  by  guerrillas. 

Erminie  wrote  to  Britomarte,  entreating  her  to  return  to 
Washington,  or  at  least  to  write  and  satisfy  her  anxious 
friends  as  to  her  prospects. 

By  return  mail  she  received  an  answer,  in  which  Miss 
Conyers  thanked  her  for  her  affectionate  interest,  but  begged 
her  to  dismiss  anxiety  and  trust  Britomarte's  welfare  to 
Britomarte's  wit. 

But  Erminie's  anxiety  was  only  diverted  to  another 
quarter.  That  evening's  papers  brought  news  of  a  severe 
battle  in  which  Justin's  regiment  had  been  engaged,  and  in 
which  the  Union  arms  were  victorious. 

And  Erminie  suffered  the  most  acute  anxiety  until  she 
received  a  letter  from  her  brother  full  of  good  news  of  the 
victory  and  kind  messages  to  friends,  proving  that  he  was 
quite  well. 

And  Erminie's  soul  rejoiced  in  thanksgiving. 

Indeed,  that  summer  of  victories  had  so  raised  the  spirits 
of  all  loyal  people  in  Washington,  as  well  as  elsewhere,  that 
long  discontinued  festivities  began  to  be  resumed;  and, 
among  the  rest,  picnic  excursions  became  frequent. 

The  fine  weather  lingered  long  that  season,  and  the  early 
autumn  was  followed  by  an  Indian  Summer  of  unparalleled 
beauty  and  geniality. 

In  the  very  midst  of  that  delicious  season,  when  any 
rational  human  being,  free  from  care  or  pain,  might  have 


ABOUT     BRITOMARTE.  Ill 

been  happy  in  any  place,  Elfie  grew  weary  of  the  pleasant 
parsonage  and  wished  for  a  change  of  scene,  "  if  only  for  a 
day,"  she  said. 

And  so,  instigated,  no  doubt,  by  the  great  enemy  of  man- 
kind, she  went  about  among  her  young  acquaintances — idle 
young  ladies,  with  nothing  to  do,  and  worse  than  idle  young 
men  who  had  dodged  the  draft,  and  she  proposed  to  get  up 
a  picnic  party  to  go  to — The  Great  Falls  of  the  Potomac, 
of  all  places  in  the  world. 

"  You  know,  Erminie,"  she  argued,  in  defending  herself 
to  her  hostess,  "  I  have  been  shut  up  in  this  beleagured  city 
so  long,  for  nearly  three  years,  unable  to  get  into  the  coun- 
try on  account  of  the  guerrilla's,  that  indeed  I  feel  like  a 
prisoner  longing  to  escape." 

"  But  I  thought  you  promised  not  to  leave  me,"  said  Er- 
minie, who  (though  from  no  selfish  motive)  disapproved  the 
venture  altogether. 

"  Neither  do  I  intend  to  leave  you.  I  intend  that  you 
shall  go  too.  Think,  Erminie  !  the  weather  is  so  perfectly 
beautiful !  pleasanter  than  we  could  have  it  at  any  other 
season  of  the  year.  It  is  just  dry  and  cool  and  bright 
enough  to  be  entirely  delightful !  " 

"But,  Elfie,  in  these  unsettled  times  and  that  unsettled 
neighborhood  it  is  scarcely  prudent  to  have  a  picnic." 

"  Oh,  gammon  !  There  is  nothing  to  be  dreaded  from 
the  guerrillas  now.  Of  the  three  great  bands  that  ravage 
the  banks  of  the  Potomac,  not  one  is  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Washington — not  within  a  hundred  miles.  Monck  is 
in  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  where  he  has  enough  to  do  to 
take  care  of  himself  and  his  command.  The  '  Free  Sword ' 
is  a  fugitive  and  his  band  dispersed  or  hiding  in  the  fast- 
nesses of  the  Alleghanies.  And  my  traitor,  set  fire  to  him  ! 
must  be  very  far  away  indeed,  since  he  has  not  been  heard 
of  for  so  many  months,  I  tell  you  it  will  be  as  safe  as  safety 
to  have  a  picnic  excursion  to  the  Great  Falls — -so  far  as 
the  guerrillas  are  concerned,"  pouted  Elfie. 


112  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

"Yes,  perhaps,  so  far  as  they  are  concerned.  But  the 
guerrillas  are  not  the  only  dangers,  or  the  most  likely  ones 
to  beset  you,  Elfie.  The  country  you  would  have  to  pass 
through  is  infested  with  stragglers  and  deserters  from  both 
armies.  And  these  are  equally  as  cruel  and  ruthless  as  the 
guerrillas.  Indeed,  we  hear  of  many  more  outrages  from 
the  former  than  the  latter." 

" So  we  do,  but  not  along  that  road  particularly.  What 
should  our  pickets  be  about,  to  let  such  beasts  of  prey  ram- 
page all  over  the  country  ?  " 

"  Our  pickets  themselves  get  shot  down  frequently." 

"  Oh,  bosh  !  You're  trying  to  frighten  me,  Erminie.  / 
will  go.  So  there,  now.  The  autumn  woods  are  perfectly 
enchanting  now,  and  I'm  just  dying  to  see  them.  And  I 
haven't  had  a  glimpse  of  the  *  Ole  Virginny  Shore '  for 
three  years,  and  I'm  dying  to  see  that  also.  And  I  never, 
in  the  whole  course  of  my  life,  set  eyes  upon  a  live  guer- 
rilla, or  a  dead  one,  either,  for  that  matter,  and  I'm  dying 
to  have  a  '  skrimmage '  with  them.  Erminie,  I'd  go  all  the 
sooner  if  I  thought  there  was  the  slightest  chance  of  our 
having  a  skirmish  with  guerrillas.  But  there's-no  such 
good  luck,  unfortunately.  Our  excursion  will  be  as  safe  as 
the  perfection  of  dullness  could  desire." 

"  Oh,  you  perverse  girl.  I  see  that  you  are  bent  upon 
running  the  risk,  so  I  shall  say  no  more  about  it,"  said 
Erminie. 

"Say  no  more  about  it,  and  think  no  more  about  it — 
about  its  imaginary  dangers,  I  mean — for  no  dangers  really 
exist.  And  you  will  go  with  us,  Erminie  ?  " 

"  No,  dear ;  I  have  failed  to  persuade  you  to  give  up  the 
excursion,  but  I  cannot  join  you  in  it." 

"  You  are  afraid  of  the  guerrillas,  or  stragglers,  or 
deserters,"  mocked  Elfie. 

"No,  really  I  am  not — honestly  not,"  said  Erminie. 

"Then  why  not  go  with  us?" 


ABOUT     BRITOMARTE.  113 

"  Because,  Elfie,  I  don't  like  to  leave  my  poor  wounded 
boys  in  the  hospitals.  There  are  some  of  them  that  look 
for  their  '  sister/  as  they  call  me,  every  day." 

"  You  make  yourself  a  slave  to  those  same  boys,"  crossly 
exclaimed  Elfie. 

"  No,  I  don't.  I  am  free  to  go  and  come  as  I  please.  I 
can  go  and  comfort  them,  or  stay  away  and  neglect  them, 
as  I  like,  but  they  are  bond — wounded,  fevered,  weary  of 
their  beds,  and  utterly  helpless,  they  must  depend  upon  the 
pleasure  or  caprice  of  free,  healthy  people  to  come  to  see 
them.  And  there  is  the  pity  of  it,  Elfie." 

"  I  wish  to  goodness  you  would  have  a  little  pity  on 
yourself,"  grumbled  Elfie. 

Erminie  smiled. 

"  Thefe  is  not  the  slightest  danger  of  any  one  of  us  fail- 
ing in  pity  for  ourselves,  Elfie,"  she  said. 

"Then  give  yourself  a  holiday  once  in  a  way,  and  go 
with  us  on  our  picnic  excursion.  Now,  do — now,  do,  Minie 
• — that's  a  darling  !  " 

"  I  would  like  to  oblige  you,  Elfie  dear,  and  I  should  not 
dislike  the  trip  up  the  river  this  beautiful  Indian  summer 
weather,  but  I  cannot  go  with  you  this  time." 

"  Well,  upon  my  word,  you  '  sainted  girls  ' — as  I  have 
heard  more  than  one  white-cravated  and  blue-spectacled 
young  parson  call  you,  are  the  most  stubborn  and  '  stiff- 
necked  generation '  that  ever  was  !  I  do  believe  you  refuse 
just  out  of  opposition  to  me." 

"  No,  Elfie.  Listen,  dear :  During  the  three  days  that  I 
was  prevented  from  going  to  the  hospital,  one  of  my  poor 
boys  died.  And  he  wanted  to  see  me,  and  kept  asking  for 
me  and  looking  for  me — poor,  helpless  boy  ! — as  long  as  he 
lingered  in  life.  I  shall  never  cease  to  be  sorry  for  my  ab- 
sence then ;  and  now,  as  long  as  there  shall  remain  a 
wounded  and  bed-ridden  soldier  in  these  hospitals,  whom 
my  presence  can  comfort  or  cheer,  I  will  never  leave  the 
7 


114  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

city  for  a  party  of  pleasure.  No  dying  eyes  shall  ever 
again  strain  themselves  to  look  for  me  in  vain  !  "  said  Er- 
minie,  gravely  and  earnestly. 

"  Oh  !  Erminie,  dear,  you  are  a  saint,  and  I  fear — I  very 
much  fear,  that  you  will  be  a  martyr,  too ! "  said  Elfie,  more 
seriously  than  she  had  yet  spoken ;  for  she  was  at  length 
really  and  deeply  touched  by  the  words  of  Erminie. 

But  the  Lutheran's  orphan  daughter  slowly  shook  her 
head,  gravely  answering : 

"  Don't  misapply  such  terms  of  praise  to  me,  dear  Elfie. 
'  Saint '  and  '  martyr '  are  holy  names  that  few  in  this  age 
of  the  world  deserve  to  bear,  and  I  least  of  all." 

"  Oh  !  you  mean,  I  suppose,  that  the  only  way  to  be  a 
saint  is  to  abjure  the  world  and  cleanliness  and  live  alone, 
in  sackcloth  and  ashes  ;  and  to  be  a  martyr,  is  to  set  up 
some  new  doctrine  and  die  for  it,"  said  Elfie. 

"No,  you  mocker — you  know  that  I  mean  no  such 
thing,"  laughed  Erminie. 

"  I'm  glad  you  don't ;  for  I  hold  that  the  man  or  woman 
who  devotes  him  or  herself  to  the  service  of  their  suffering 
fellow-creatures,  is  as  good  a  saint  as  ever  preferred  his  own 
company  to  other  people's— filthy  sackcloth  to  clean  linen ; 
and  he  or  she  who  dies  in  such  a  service,  I  hold  to  be  as 
good  a  martyr  as  ever  offered  up  his  life  for  a  difference  of 
opinion  in  politics  or  theology !  " 

"  So  do  I,  Elfie,"  said  Erminie. 

And  here  the  talk  stopped. 

This  conversation  occurred  on  the  Wednesday  of  that 
week. 

And  the  picnic  excursion — that  most  disastrous  picnic 
excursion — was  fixed  for  the  following  Saturday. 


UNEXPECTED      GUEST     AT     A     PICNIC.      115 

CHAPTER  IX. 

£S   UNEXPECTED    GUEST    AT   A   PIC  NIC. 

Outlaw  and  free  thief, 

Landless  and  lawless, 

Through  the  world  fare  I, 

Thoughtless  of  life. 

Outlaw  and  free  thief, 

My  kinsmen  have  left  me, 

And  no  kinsmen  need  I 

Till  my  kinsmen  need  me. 

My  sword  is  my  father, 

My  shield  is  rny  mother, 

My  ship  is  my  sister. 

My  horse  is  my  brother.— CHARUSS  KINGSLET. 

WE  have  seen  that  Miss  Rosenthal  could  not  succeed  in 
prevailing  on  her  perverse  guest  to  abandon  the  picnic 
excursion.  And,  indeed,  the  sanguine  young  people  who 
came  on  the  next  day  to  the  Parsonage  to  arrange  with 
Miss  Fielding  the  details  of  the  festival,  contrived  to  re- 
assure Erminie  as  to  the  perfect  safety  of  the  expedition. 

"The  roads  are  guarded  on  hoth  sides  by  our  pickets, 
and  the  country  for  miles  back  is  quite  free  from  dangerous 
characters,"  said  Mr.  Allison,  a  young  man  of  fortune,  who 
had  a  substitute  in  the  field,  risking  his  life  in  Mr.  Allison's 
stead. 

"  Besides,  we  shall  all  go  armed  to  the  teeth,  and  deter- 
mined to  die  if  necessary,  in  defence  of  the  ladies ! "  said 
Mr.  Jim  Mini,  a  very  small  young  man,  with  a  "  wee  face 
and  little  yellow  beard,"  but  with,  I  do  believe,  the  soul  of 
a  hero,  for  he  had  done  his  very  best  to  get  into  the  army, 
and  had  been  rejected  a  score  of  times  upon  the  ground  of 
physical  disability. 

"  But — to  use  your  own  phrase," — said  Erminie,  smiling, 
"  '  will  it  pay  '  in  enjoyment  to  go  upon  a  party  of  pleasure 
when  you  have  to  go  '  armed  to  the  teeth/  and  keep  up  a 
vjgilant  watch  all  the  time  ?  " 

"  Oh,  dear,  yes !  a  spice  of  danger  will  only  add  zest  to 


116  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

the  adventure.  I  agree  with  Miss  Fielding  that  nothing 
could  be  more  piquant  than  an  encounter  with  Monck  and 
his  fierce  band,"  put  in  Mr.  Montgomery  Fitz  Smithers,  a 
huge  six-footer,  with  the  body  of  a  giant  and  the  spirit  of  a 
pigmy,  who  had  crept  out  of  the  draft  upon  the  plea  of 
being  the  only  nephew  of  a  maiden  aunt,  or  something  of 
the  sort. 

"The  spice  of  danger  you  speak  of  may  add  to  your 
enjoyment,  gentlemen;  but  it. can  scarcely  add  to  the  com- 
fort of  the  young  ladies  of  your  party,"  said  Erminie. 

"  I  do  assure  you,  Miss  Wothenthall,  that  the  danger  is 
altogweder  imaginawy.  Our  awmes  are  only  pwecaution- 
ary  measures  against  the  bare  possibility  of  mere  annoy- 
ance ;  and  evwy  awangement  shall  be  made  for  the  comfort 
of  the  ladies,"  lisped  Mr.  Lew  Billingcoo,  a  very  exquisite 
dandy,  whose  chief  merits  lay  in  a  neat  little  figure,  a 
round  little  head,  a  nice  little  face,  and  a  "  cute "  little 
moustache,  as  to  person ;  and  a  jet  black  suit,  snow  white 
linen,  pure  diamond  studs,  new  kid  gloves,  fresh  pocket 
handkerchief,  and  a  rare  hot-house  flower  stuck  into  his 
button-hole,  as  to  dress. 

"  Only  a  clerk,"  he  spent  all  his  small  income  on  his  out- 
ward adornments,  and  hoped  to  marry  an  heiress  who  should 
pay  his  board  bill  and  make  his  fortune. 

Mr.  Billingcoo  paid  the  most  devoted  attention  to  every 
one  of  the  few  "  moneyed  "  young  ladies  of  his  acquaintance, 
and  he  expected  all  pretty  girls  who  were  not  moneyed  to 
pay  devoted  attention  to  him  ;  and — more's  the  pity — he 
was  not  always  disappointed. 

Woe  betide  this  exquisite  young  gentleman  if  he  should 
fall  into  the  hands  of  the  "  roughs  "  of  Monck's,  or  any  other 
guerrilla's  band ! 

Erminie,  convinced  against  her  will,  offered  no  farther 
opposition  to  the  picnic  excursion,  but  set  about,  with  affec- 
tionate zeal,  to  forward  the  views  of  the  party. 


UNEXPECTED      GUEST     AT     A     PICNIC.         117 

Old  Frederica,  the  cook,  was  directed  to  boil  a  ham  and  a 
leg  of  mutton,  and  to  roast  a  turkey  and  a  pair  of  fowls. 
Erminie  herself  made  lemon  pies  and  pound  cakes,  besides 
giving  Elfie  a  carte  blanche  to  order  or  prepare  anything  she 
liked  ;  for  she  wished  that  the  hamper  from  the  parsonage 
should  be  excelled  by  none. 

Mr.  Allison,  being  the  rich  man  of  the  party,  provided  the 
most  costly  wines  to  be  procured. 

Mr.  Montgomery  Fitz  Smithers,  the  faint-hearted  colossus, 
furnished  a  band  of  music  consisting  of  four  pieces. 

Mr.  Jim  Mim,  the  "  feeble  but  ferocious "  hero,  nearly 
ruined  himself  in  the  purchase  of  West  India  sweetmeats, 
French  candies,  English  potted  meats,  a-nd  other  rare  deli- 
cacies. 

Mr.  Lew  Billingcoo,  the  exquisite,  contributed  himself, 
his  guitar  and  a  bouquet  of  fragrant  exotics  for  every  young 
lady. 

Two  of  these  young  men — Mr.  Allison  and  Mr.  Mini — 
had  mothers  and  sisters,  who  were  of  course  members  of  the 
picnic  ;  Mr.  Smithers  had  a  maiden  aunt,  and  Mr.  Billing- 
coo  a  grandmamma,  who  was  such  a  lively  old  lady  that  she 
was  always  ready  for  any  frolic  that  might  be  set  on  foot  by 
the  young  people  ;  and  these  ladies  were  also  to  be  of  the 
company.  Besides  these  there  were  many  other  ladies  and 
gentlemen,  making  in  all  a  company  of  thirty  or  thirty- 
five. 

There  were  three  ways  of  reaching  the  Great  Falls  from 
Washington  and  Georgetown.  The  first  was  by  the  Eiver 
road ;  but  that  was  in  a  very  bad  condition  from  the  con- 
stant passage  of  trains  of  army  wagons  and  ambulances,  and 
droves  of  mules  and  horses.  The  second  by  the  Conduit 
road,  leading  past  the  new  water  works;  but  this  was 
objectionable  for  the  same  reasons  as  was  the  Eiver  road. 
The  third  way  was  by  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  canal ;  and 
this  way  was  certainly  free  from  the  objections  that  could 
be  urged  against  the  former  two. 


118  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

So,  after  changing  their  minds  half  a  dozen  times  from  the 
River  road  to  the  Conduit  road,  and  back  again  from  the 
Conduit  road  to  the  River  road,  our  party  gave  up  both  as 
impracticable  and  determined  to  go  by  the  canal,  and  to 
charter  the  bright  little  steamboat  Gadfly  to  take  them. 
The  picnickers  wished  to  pay  for  this  boat  by  subscription  ; 
but  Allison,  the  millionaire,  insisted  upon  taking  it  in  his 
own  name  and  being  at  all  the  charges  for  transportation. 

A  cook,  a  couple  of  waiters  and  a  chambermaid,  all  colored 
people,  were  engaged  to  attend  upon  the  company. 

At  length  the  long  expected,  ardently  desired,  eventful 
Saturday  came. 

The  picnickers  were  to  assemble  at  the  parsonage.  And 
by  five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  Erminie,  whom  you  know 
to  be  the  very  soul  of  kindness,  had  a  comfortable  breakfast 
prepared  for  the  whole  party,  who  were  all  on  hand  by  a 
quarter  past  five.  By  six  o'clock  four  ambulances  and  a 
baggage  wagon,  all  borrowed  from  the  quarter-master's  de- 
partment, were  in  attendance  to  convey  the  whole  party 
with  all  their  stores  to  High  street,  Georgetown,  where 
they  were  to  take  the  boat,  and  where  also  the  band  of  music 
and  the  colored  waiters,  cook  and  chambermaid  were  to 
meet  them. 

Many  hands  make  labor  light,  'tis  said;  and  so  the  young 
men,  h-aving  breakfasted  to  their  satisfaction  on  Erminie's 
strong  coffee,  fried  chickens,  broiled  ham,  rice  cakes  and 
rolls,  set  to  work  with  a  will  and  soon  loaded  the  baggage 
wagon  with  their  stores.  There  were  about  thirty  ladies 
and  gentlemen  comprising  this  picnic  party,  and  they  ex- 
pected to  be  gone  but  twelve  hours ;  but  their  stores  were 
enough  to  feed  three  hundred  people  for  the  same  time. 

When  the  last  package  was  put  into  the  baggage  wagon, 
the  gentlemen  assisted  the  ladies  into  the  ambulances,  and 
followed  them  there  :  and  the  train  started — Erminie  stand- 
ing in  the  door  a-nd  looking  after  them,  smiling  and  waving 
adieu. 


UNEXPECTED     GUEST     AT    A     PICNIC.       119 

The  sun  had  not  yet  risen,  but  the  clearness  of  the  dark 
hlue  sky  at  the  zenith,  and  the  bright  red  flush  of  the 
Eastern  horizon  surely  promised  a  fine  day. 

The  horses  were  fresh  of  course,  and  travelled  at  a  fine 
exhilarating  rate.  And  so  great  was  the  glee  of  the  picnic 
party,  that  they  could  scarcely  refrain  from  breaking  into 
song,  even  there  in  the  streets.  They  were  only  enabled  to 
restrain  themselves  by  thinking  how  they  would  sing  when, 
once  free  of  the  city  and  town. 

An  hour's  rapid  jolting  brought  them  to  the  lock  in 
Georgetown,  where  the  little  canal  steamboat  Gadfly,  with 
the  Union  flag  flying,  lay  puffing-  and  blowing  as  with  impa- 
tience to  receive  them.  Their  colored  band  of  musicians  and 
their  colored  servants  were  standing  on  the  deck  waiting  for 
them. 

The  party  quickly  alighted  from  their  ambulances,  and 
went  on  board  the  boat. 

The  servants  speedily  unloaded  the  baggage-wagon,  and 
transferred  the  stores  to  the  deck. 

And  just  as  the  sun  arose,  the  band  of  music  struck  up 
Hail  Columbia,  and  the  little  steamer  blew  her  shrill  signal 
whistle,  and  started  for  up  the  country. 

Past  the  useful  and  necessary,  but  excessively  ugly  ware- 
houses, past  the  lumber  yards  and  fish  market,  past  the 
Aqueduct  Bridge  and  the  suburban  grog-shops,  steamed  the 
little  Gadfly,  until  she  was  well  free  of  the  town  and  its 
suburbs,  and  in  a  comparatively  quiet  country,  with  the 
narrow  tow  path  and  the  broad  river  on  the  south,  and  the 
narrow  road  and  rocky  precipice  on  the  north. 

The  party  were  all  on  deck,  and  as  soon  as  they  dared 
do  so  they  broke  into  song.  First  they  sang  "Hail 
Columbia/'  because  the  band  was  playing  that  tune.  Then 
in  turn  followed  "  Yankee  Doodle,"  "  The  Star  Spangled 
Banner,"  "  Rally  Round  the  Flag,  Boys,"  "  John  Brown," 
''  We  are  Coining,  Father  Abraham,"  "  the  Year  ob 


120  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

Jubillo,"  "  Just  Before  the  Battle,"  and,  in  fact,  one  aftei 
another,  every  popular  song  of  the  day.  If  music  had  been 
their  profession,  and  if  they  had  been  well  paid  for  singing 
so  many  songs  at  one  time,  they  would  have  thought  that 
they  had  been  working  too  hard,  and  they  would  have  felt 
very  tired;  but  as  they  were  singing  only  for  their  own 
amusement,  they  were  insensible  to  fatigue.  But  then  you 
see  it  makes  all  the  difference  whether  our  violent  exertions 
are  called  work  or  play.  There  are  those  who  fretfully  play 
at  work,  and  those  who  cheerfully  work  at  play,  and  those 
who  invariably  do  both. 

Our  picnickers  were  very  perseveringly  working  at  play. 
They  were,  indeed,  so  taken  up  with  their  singing,  that 
thev  found  themselves  at  the  picturesque  Chain  Bridge 
Military  Depot,  four  miles  above  Georgetown,  before  they 
knew  where  they  were. 

"  How  far  do  you  call  it  from  here  to  the  Great  Falls  ?" 
inquired  Ben.  Allison  of  one  of  the  young  officers  of  the 
post,  as  the  steamer  was  passing  through  the  lock. 

"  Some  call  it  nine  miles  only,  but  /  think  it  nine  of  the 
very  longest  miles  /  ever  travelled,"  laughingly  answered 
the  young  man. 

The  boat  passed  the  lock,  steamed  on  her  way,  and  soon 
left  the  Chain  Bridge  behind. 

They  were  now  coming  into  a  wild,  romantic,  and  beauti- 
fu1  region  of  country. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  canal  arose  the  lofty,  dark  gray 
rocks,  like  pallisades,  from  every  crevice  of  which  grew  the 
hardy  evergreen,  or  sprang  the  bright  mountain  rrll.  Along 
the  foot  of  this  rocky  precipice,  at  equal  distances,  nestled 
the  picturesque  huts  of  the  pickets,  each  hut  built  of  rough 
logs,  with  the  bark  on,  aiid  thatched  with  evergreen  boughs 
of  fir,  pine  or  cedar,  and  having  in  front  its  little  camp-fire, 
and  its  group  of  three  or  four  soldiers. 

As  the  little  steamboat  glided  past  these  stations,  the  pic- 


UNEXPECTED      GUEST     AT     A     PICNIC.       121 

nickers  cheered  these  picket  guards,  and  pelted  them  well 
with  apples,  oranges,  cocoa  nuts,  poundcakes,  and  packets 
of  newspapers. 

And  the  pickets  in  return  cheered  them,  and  threw  into 
their  boat  hares,  quails,  and  partridges,  that  they  had  killed 
in  that  country,  so  abounding  in  game. 

All  this  was  on  the  right  hand  of  the  way,  and  north 
side  of  the  canal. 

On  the  opposite,  or  south  side,  and  divided  from  it  only 
by  the  narrow  tow-path,  rolled  the  broad  river,  and  beyond 
that  arose  the  wooded  hills  of  Virginia,  now  gorgeous  in  the 
variegated  hues  of  autumn  foliage. 

"I  think  this  is  the  most  delightful  season  for  a  picnic 
excursion  of  this  sort,  for  really  the  summer  is  as  much 
too  hot  as  the  winter  is  too  cold  for  an  outdoor  party  of 
pleasure.  What  do  you  think,  Mr.  Billingcoo  ?  "  inquired 
Elfie  of  the  exquisite,  who  was  standing  by  her  side,  as  she 
gazed  on  the  beautiful  scenery,  and  basked  in  the  genial 
sunshine. 

"  I  think  you  are  quite  wight,  Mith  Fielding,  and  I  quite 
agwee  with  you.  It  ith  a  gweat  pity  Mith  Wothenthal 
could  not  be  induthed  to  join  uth." 

"Isn't  it  now!  And  she  would  Iteve  prevented  me  from 
coming  if  she  could  have  done  so  !  The  idea  of  any  one 
imagining  danger  in  this  excursion  !  I  wonder  where  the 
danger  is  to  come  from !  Here  is  a  line  of  picket  guards 
on  one  side  of  us  and  the  river  on  the  other.  I  should  like 
to  know  how  the  guerrillas,  even  if  they  were  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, could  pass  either.  I  wish  they  would  for  my  part ! 
I  should  enjoy  a  smart  skirmish  with  Monck  and  his  men  ! 
Heigh-ho  !  there  is  no  such  good  luck.  Our  picnic  excur- 
sion is  going  to  be  just  as  tame  a  party  of  pleasure  as 
though  we  were  in  the  pipinest  times  of  peace.  I  tell  you, 
Mr.  Billingcoo,  as  far  as  my  experience  goes,  this  war's  a 
sell,  like  most  other  things  in  lite." 


122  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

"  Weally  now  ?  you  don't  mean  it !  " 

"  I  do.  Here  it  has  been  going  on  for  more  than  three 
years,  and  I  have  been  living  -all  this  time  at  what  they  call 
1  the  seat  of  war/  and  I  haven't  seen  one  great  battle  or 
even  one  little  skirmish  yet ! "  grumbled  Elfie. 

"And  do  you  weally  with  to  witneth  an  engagement, 
Mith  Fielding  ?  " 

"  I  really  do." 

"  How  would  an  engagement  thealed  with  a  wedding 
wing  do,  in  lack  of  an  engagement  with  the  enemy  ? " 
lisped  the  exquisite,  caressing  his  moustache. 

"  If  you  like  to  talk  rubbish,  Mr.  Billingcoo,  there  are 
some  young  ladies  at  the  other  end  of  the  boat  wrho  will 
listen  to  you  with  the  utmost  patience  all  day  long,"  said 
Elfie,  coldly. 

"  Weally,  now  ?  Ith  that  tho  ?  But  thuppothe  I  pwefer 
your  company  ?  " 

"  Then  you  will  have  to  talk  sense  or  be  silent." 

"Mith  Fielding,  you  are  cwuel." 

"  Mr.  Billingcoo,  you  are  absurd  !  " 

"  Tho  I've  heard.  I1  wonder  if  it  ith  weally  twue.  I 
•will  go  and  athk  niy  grandmamma,"  said  the  young  gentle- 
man, coolly  playing  with,  the  tea-rose  in  his  button-hole, 
and  sauntering  off  to  join  the  lively  old  lady,  and  leaving 
Elfie  to  wonder  whether  she  had  not  got  the  worst  of  it  in 
the  word  fencing. 

So  the  boat  glided  along,  on  that  delightful  morning, 
through  the  wild  and  picturesque  scenery  of  the  Upper 
Potomac. 

And  our  excursionists,  notwithstanding  that  they  were  on 
a  party  of  pleasure,  really  enjoyed  themselves. 

It  was  yet  early  in  the  day,  when  they  reached  the  Great 
Falls  of  the  Potomac,  where  the  mighty  river,  rushing  on 
between  huge  precipices,  clothed  with  evergreen  woods,  falls 
into  a  vast  basin,  or  cauldron,  where,  among  great,  jagged 
rocks,  it  roars  and  foams  in  frightful  eddies  and  whirlpools. 


UNEXPECTED      GUEST     AT     A     PICNIC.          123 

In  that  dry,  Indian  summer  weather,  the  river  was  so 
lo'V  at  the  falls,  that  any  brave  and  dexterous  leaper,  who 
w*uld  not  mind  risking  life  and  limb,  by  springing,  from 
rc-ik  to  rock,  across  the  whirlpools,  might  have  passed  dry- 
st  >d  from  shore  to  shore. 

The  boat  stopped  there. 

The  military  officer  in  charge  of  the  commissary  depot 
ca  ne  down  from  the  block-house  to  see  the  visitors. 

After  bowing  to  the  ladies,  and  shaking  hands  with  Mr. 
A]  '.ison,  who  was  his  old  acquaintance,  and  learning  that 
th»3  visitors  were  a  company  of  picnickers  on  a  party  of 
pleasure,  he  courteously  invited  them  all  to  come  on  shore, 
and  accept  such  hospitality  as  h'is  quarters  were  able  to 
aFord. 

But,  knowing  from  personal  experience  that  the  accom- 
modations of  the  block-house  were  not  of  the  most  tempt- 
ing description,  Allison,  on  the  part  of  the  company, 
thanked  the  captain,  declined  the  invitation,  and  pressed 
him,  instead,  to  Join  them  at  their  lunch,  and  accompany 
them  afterwards  as  guide  in  their  rambles  through  the 
magnificent  scenery  of  the  place. 

The  captain  readily  agreed  to  this  proposition,  and  then 
eagerly  inquired  if  they  had  brought  the  morning  papers 
along. 

"  Lots  of  them,"  answered  Allison,  laughing.  "  I 
thought  of  that  before  I  came  away.  I  knew  that  the  most 
acceptable  offering  I  could  bring  to  men  stationed  at  these 
sequestered  outposts  would  be  the  daily  papers.  I  knew  it 
would  be  too  early  for  the  newsboys;  so  before  reporting 
myself  at  the  parsonage,  where  our  party  assembled  to  start, 
I  went  the  rounds  of  the  printing-offices  and  astonished  the 
printers  by  buying  up  the  morning  papers  by  hundreds. 
And  we  have  been  distributing  them  to  the  picket  guards 
all  along  our  way.  And  groat  gifts  our  boys  thought  them, 
I  assure  you.  However,  don't  be  alarmed  ;  we  have  saved 
enough  for  you." 


124  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

And  so  saying,  Allison  handed  over  a  packet  of  news- 
papers, that  was  as  welcome  to  the  officer  in  command  of 
this  outpost,  as  ever  was  news  from  home  to  an  exile 
ahroad. 

Meanwhile,  with  laughing  and  jesting,  and  much  merri- 
ment, the  picnickers  were  leaving  the  hoat. 

The  hampers  were  brought  on  shore ;  a  nice,  high  spot,  a 
natural  opening  in  the  forest,  was  selected ;  the  cloth  was 
kid  on  the  dry,  burnished  grass,  and  the  feast  was  spread — 
a  light  repast  of  fruits,  cakes  and  wines,  for  it  was  yet  too 
early  to  think  of  dinner. 

"  But  how  about  the  guerrillas  ?  Heard  or  seen  anything 
of  Monck  and  his  band  of  brigands,  lately  ?  "  inquired  Mr. 
Allison  of  the  captain,  as  they  all  gathered  around  the 
luncheon,  and  sat  down  upon  t-he  grass. 

"  Not  a  breath,  not  a  sign  of  them  for  many  weeks  past," 
answered  the  officer. 

"  That's  good.  I'm  glad  to  hear  that.  I  shouldn't  like 
to  have  a  raid  made  upon  our  party  to-day." 

This  was  said  jestingly,  and  the  captain  laughed  as  he 
replied  : 

"  Oh,  no  fear  of  that.  The  guerrillas  keep  far  enough 
away  from  our  neighborhood.  ;A11  quiet  along  the 
Potomac,'  I  do  assure  you." 

So  in  the  evergreen  wood  they  chatted,  and  jested,  and 
laughed  over  the  prolonged  luncheon. 

At  length  they  all  a-rose  from  the  grass,  and  began  to 
prepare  for  their  ramble.  The  ladies  hoisted  their  parasols, 
the  gentlemen  put  on  their  wide-awakes,  and  everybody 
asked  everybody  else — 

"  Where  shall  we  go  first  ?  " 

"  Have  you  ever  seen  the  Lady's  Leap  ?  "  inquired  the 
captain. 

"  No— never,"  answered  a  score  of  voices. 

"Nor  the  Devil's  Dripping  Pan  ?  " 


UNEXPECTED     GUEST     AT    A     PICNIC.       125 

"No." 

"  Nor  the  Eagle's  Eyrie  ?  " 

"  No,  for  no  one  but  myself  of  this  company  has  ever 
been  here  before,"  answered  Allison  for  all  his  party. 

"  Then  we  had  better  visit  them  in  turn,"  counselled  the 
captain. 

And  everybody  answered — 

"Yes." 

And  the  whole  party,  led  on  by  the  captain  and  Mr. 
Allison,  set  out  on  their  excursion. 

They  went  first  to  the  Lady's  Leap,  a  lofty  rock  over- 
looking the  Falls,  where  a  lovesick  girl  was  reputed  to  have 
taken  a  fatal  leap  into  the  river  below. 

Next  they  visited  the  Devil's  Dripping  Pan,  a  great 
basin  of  rock  nearly  circular  in  form. 

Finally  they  took  a  look  at  the  Eagle's  Eyrie,  the  highest 
point  of  land  within  many  miles  of  the  place. 

And  then,  fatigued  with  their  long  ramble,  they  returned 
to  their  boat  to  rest.' 

Now,  had  the  programme  of  the  excursion  been  carried 
out  to  the  letter,  a  great  mischance  might  have  been 
averted.  But  it  was  not. 

Elfie,  at  least,  seemed  possessed  by  the  evil  one,  who 
inspired  her  with  a  love  of  adventure.  She  would  not  hear 
of  terminating  the  excursion  at  the  Great  Falls.  It  was  a 
glorious  afternoon,  and  having  visited  the  most  striking 
scenes  around  the  Falls,  she  wished  to  go  farther  up  the 
river. 

The  captain,  who  had  returned  with  them  on  the  boat, 
sided  with  Elfie. 

"  It  would  be  a  pity,"  he  said,  "  to  turn  back  without 
having  seen  the  fine  scenery  above.  Why,  you  might  even 
run  up  as  high  as  the  Point  of  Kocks — a  magnificent 
view." 

"  To  be  sure  we  might,"  said  Elfie  j  "  and  even  if  we 


126  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

should  be  late  in  returning,  there  will  be  moonlight'to  come 
home  by.     It  will  be  perfectly  delightful." 

"  And  we  have  everything  along  to  make  us  comfortable," 
said  Allison. 

In  fact,  when  the  extension  of  their  expedition  was  once 
fairly  and  broadly  proposed  and  discussed,  it  was  unani- 
mously agreed  upon. 

And  it  was  decided  that  they  should  immediately  start 
for  the  upper  river,  should  stop  and  dine  at  the  Point  of 
Hocks,  and  then  return  home  by  moonlight. 

To  be  sure  Elfie  felt  a  few  twinges  of  conscience  when 
she  thought  how  great  would  be  Erminie's  anxiety  at  her 
prolonged  absence,  but  Elfie,  with  a  mental  jerk,  exclaimed 
to  herself: 

11  Bother !  if  she  shouldn't  be  worrying  about  me,  she 
would  be  worrying  about  somebody  else — some  dying  sol- 
dier in  the  hospital,  some  starving  refugee  from  the  South, 
or  some  condemned  criminal  in  his  cell.  It's  all  the  same 
to  her." 

And  so  the  picnickers  bade  adieu  to  their  new  friend, 
the  commander  of  the  blockhouse,  and  their  boat  steamed 
away  up  the  canal  for  the  Point  of  Rocks. 

Above  the  Falls  the  scenery  was  much  finer  than  it  was 
below.  The  river  was  narrower,  and  higher  ;  and  the  huge 
frowning  precipices  on  each  shore  darker  and  loftier. 

The  company,  with  their  lately  exuberant  spirits  some- 
what toned  down  by  the  fatigues  of  the  day,  no  longer 
sang  jubilant  Union  songs  with  uproarious  choruses;  but 
sat  silently  enjoying  the  beauty  of  the  scene,  or  quietly 
conversing  with  each  other,  or  listening  to  Mr.  Billingcoo, 
who,  with  his  guitar  in  his  hands  and  his  eyes  turned  up, 
reclined  on  the  deck  and  sung  lispingly  to  his  own  accom- 
paniment one  of  Thomas  Moore's  sentimental  songs : 


UNEXPECTED      GUEST     AT     A     PICNIC.      127 

"  Kow  gently  here,  ray  gondolier, 

Tho  thoftly  wake  the  tide, 
That  not  an  ear,  on  earth,  thall  hear 

But  herth  to  whom  we  glide. 
Ah,  did  we  take  for  Heaven  above 

But  half  the  painth  that  we 
Take  day  and  night  for  woraan'th  lore,  — 

What  angelth  we  thould  be ! " 

So  he  sang  the  whole  song  through,  dwelling  upon  the 
last  word  and  lingering  on  the  last  note  with  his  fingers  on 
the  chords  of  the  instrument  and  his  eyes  fixed  on  the 
clouds  in  the  sky,  like  one  possessed ;  until  Elfie  awoke  him 
with  this  criticism : 

"  It  is  very  fine  indeed,  Mr.  Billingcoo,  only  it  would 
take  a  very  powerful  effort  of  imagination  to  transform  this 
matter-of-fact  steam-packet  to  a  Venetian  gondola.  How- 
ever, I  really  think  we  have  the  advantage  of  your  gondo- 
lier. For  we  are  gliding  by  the  most  beautiful  scenery 
in  the  whole  world,  and  he  appears  to  have  had  nothing 
better  in  that  way  than  narrow  canals  and  high  stone 
walls." 

"  Mith  Fielding,  have  you  no  thentiment  at  all  ? " 
pathetically  inquired  the  injured  minstrel. 

"  None  whatever.  Nature  seems  to  have  been  out  of  the 
article  when  she  formed  me,"  answered  Elfie. 

"  Oh,  do,  Mr.  Billingcoo,  sing  another  sweet  thing  like 
that !  "  pleaded  a  poetical  young  lady. 

"And  do,  Mr.  Billingcoo  !"  chimed  in  a  chorus  of  others. 

And  the  troubadour  suffered  himself  to  be  entreated  and 
sang  lispingly  several  other  "  sweet  things,"  to  the  accom- 
paniment of  his  guitar — all  of  which  the  young  ladies 
wafmly  applauded. 

So  glided  away  the  glorious  Indian  Summer  afternoon ; 
and  as  the  sun  was  sinking  to  his  splendid  setting,  the 
steamer  neared  the  Point  of  Rocks. 

"  We  had  better  stop  here.  This  is  a  more  convenient 
place  to  land  and  dine  than  we  could  find  without  going  on 


128  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

some  distance  above  the  Point.  And  besides  it  is  really 
growing  late,"  said  Mr.  Allison. 

The  company  eagerly  assented  to  the  plan,  and  the  boat 
was  stopped  where  the  canal  passed  under  the  shadow  of  a 
great  precipice  crowned  with  pine  woods. 

"  If  we  can  get  to  the  top  of  this  rock,  there  is  a  fine 
table  land  well  protected  from  the  wind,  which  I  find  is 
rising,  and  well  shaded  from  the  sun  by  pine  trees,  and  also 
commanding  one  of  the  most  magnificent  panoramic  pros- 
pects in  the  country.  That  table  land  will  be  an  excellent 
place  to  dine,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Allison,  while  he  and  his 
friends  were  getting  ready  to  leave  the  boat. 

They  found  a  way  to  the  top  of  the  steep ;  and  the 
gentlemen  climbed  carefully,  helping  the  ladies  up  along 
with  them. 

Their  attendant's  followed  with  the  hampers  of  provis- 
ions. 

When  the  whole  party  arrived  at  the  summit  they  found 
a  level  piece  of  ground  covered  with  dry  grass,  and  encircled 
except  upon  the  river  side,  with  a  girdle  of  pine  trees. 

"  It  seems  made  for  the  very  purpose  we  are  about  to  put 
it  to,"  said  the  lively  old  lady,  as  she  sank  panting,  but 
joyous  upon  the  ground. 

"  Oh,  what  a  stupendous — what  an  overpowering  breadth 
of  view  !  "  exclaimed  Elfie,  in  honest  wonder  and  admira- 
tion, as  she  reached  the  summit  and  looked  around,  letting 
her  eyes  rove  from  East  to  West  and  from  North  to  South. 
"  I  feel  now  for  the  first  time  in  my  life  that  I  actually  live 
on  the  outside  of  the  earth's  surface  ;  and  I  see  for  myself 
that  it  is  really  round ;  and  I  even  begin  to  realize  that  it  is 
a  vast  globe  rolling  through  the  immensity  of  space  !  " 

"  It  looks  dreadfully  lonely  though,"  observed  a  young 
lady,  with  a  shudder. 

"  Yes — what  a  solitude  !  Far  as  the  eye  can  reach  on 
every  side  a  forest  of  autumn  foliage,  with  only  here  and 


UNEXPECTED      GUEST     AT    A     PICNIC.       129 

there  a  grey  rock  looming  up,  and  the  river  rolling  deeply 
through  it  all.  Not  a  house,  not  a  chimney,  nor  even  smoke, 
to  indicate  human  habitations  near  !  " 

While  the  company  were  gazing  upon  the  vast  panorama 
around  them,  and  descanting  upon  its  beauties,  some  of  the 
attendants  were  building  fires  on  the  ground,  hanging  kettles 
over  the  blaze,  and  putting  the  hares,  quails  and  patridges, 
which  were  already  dressed  for  the  gridiron,  upon  the  coals ; 
others  were  laying  the  table-cloth  and  arranging  the  dinner 
service. 

Mr.  Allison  having  seen  to  the  careful  transportation  of 
his  costly  wines,  now  joined  the  group  on  the  edge  of  the 
precipice. 

Looking  down  upon  the  chaos  of  grey  rock  below  them 
he  smiled  and  quoted  : 

"  '  The  ragged  rascals  rage  round  rugged  rocks.'  Now,  I 
wonder  what  on  earth  put  that  choice  specimen  of  ingenious 
alliteration  into  my  head  ?  "  he  laughingly  inquired. 

"  The  '  wugged  wockth '  of  courthe,"  lisped  Mr.  Bil- 
lingcoo. 

"  Yes  ;  but  where  are  the  '  ragged  rascals  ? '  "  laughed 
Allison. 

"  Vewy  twue  !  Here  are  the  '  wugged  wockth,'  but  where 
are  the  '  wagged  wathcalth  ? '  "  repeated  the  dandy. 

The  question  was  answered  by  a  yell  more  terrible  and 
ferocious  than  ever  startled  a  sleeping  backwoods  settle- 
ment when  a  tribe  of  ruthless  savages  woke  it  up  to 
slaughter. 

And  forth  from   the  cover  of  the  pine   woods  leaped  a 
band  of  fierce  brigands,  brandishing  their  bayonets. 
8 


130  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

CHAPTER   X. 

AS    THE   LION   WO  OS    HIS    BRIDE. 

So  light  to  the  croupe  the  fair  lady  he  swung. 

So  light  to  the  saddle  before  her,  he  sprung.— SCOTT. 

OXE  amazed  and  startled  look  assured  the  party  that  the 
guerrillas  were  upon  them. 

Some  of  the  young  ladies  fell  upon  their  faces,  screaming 
with  terror. 

Others  turned  to  fly,  but  were  met  and  opposed  by  the 
bayonets  of  the  guerrillas,  who  fenced  them  on  all  sides. 

Only  Elfie  stood  her  ground.  She  placed  her  back  against 
the  bole  of  a  pine  tree  and  called  those  frantic  girls  around 
her,  saying : 

"  Stand  fast !  Stand  firm  !  it  is  the  best  way — it  is  the 
only  way ! " 

"  To  arms  !  gentlemen  all !  Let  us  die  in  defence  of  the 
ladies  !  "  shouted  valiant  little  Mr.  Mim,  drawing  his  slender 
sword  from  his  cane  and  throwing  himself  before  the  group 
of  young  ladies  who  had  now  gathered,  frightened  and 
trembling,  around  Elfie  as  their  queen. 

Not  another  man  followed  his  example. 

"  Surrender,  you  blasted  Yankees,  before  we  make  crows' 
meat  of  you ! "  shouted  a  gigantic  guerrilla,  who  seemed  to 
be  the  leader  of  the  band,  leaping  into  the  centre  of  the 
area,  followed  by  many  of  his  men. 

Elfie  stooped  and  whispered  to  her  chivalric  little 
champion. 

"  Mr.  Mim,  resistance  is  quite  vain  !  You  will  only  get 
yourself  cut  to  pieces  by  these  wretches  !  Throw  down 
your  sword  ! " 

"  Miss  Fielding,  I  will  be  cut  into  ten  thousand  flinders 
before  they  shall  come  at  you  and  the  other  ladies  !  "  cried 
the  little  hero. 


AS     THE     LIOH      WOOS     HIS     BRIDE.       131 

"  These  are  Goldsborough's  guerrillas  ;  and  the  giant  who 
is  leading  them  is  the  savage  Mutchison,  his  second  in 
command.  I  know  him  by  his  picture  in  the  illustrated 
papers.  Give  me  your  dirk  to  defend  myself,  and  then 
surrender,  Mr.  Mim." 

"  My  dirk  !  Certainly,  if  you  want  it,  Miss  Fielding ; 
but  I  will  never  surrender ! "  said  the  little  knight,  begin- 
ning to  disengage  the  required  weapon  from  its  resting-place. 
Then  he  had  to  let  it  go  in  a  hurry,  and  throw  himself 
upon  his  guard ;  for  the  colossus  whom  Elfie  had  called 
Mutchison  was  leaping  towards  him,  brandishing  his  sabre. 

Little  Mim  met  and  parried  the  stroke  that  was  aimed  at 
him. 

And  then  followed  several  rapid  passes.  But  the  combat 
was  very  unequal.  Mim  and  Mutchison,  as  to  their  respec- 
tive sizes,  were  like  David  and  Goliath.  And  poor  tiny 
Mim  had  no  miraculous  sling !  When  they  had  crossed 
swords  several  times,  Mutchison  sang  out : 

'•<  Yield,  you  little  fool ! " 

"Never!"  shouted  Mim,  parrying  the  strokes  as  well  as 
he  could,  and  watching  for  a  chance  to  run  his  gigantic 
antagonist  through  the  body. 

"  Surrender,  you  blamed  idiot !  I  don't  want  to  kill  such 
a  midge  as  you ! "  cried  the  guerrilla,  without  ceasing  to  lay 
on. 

"  Then  you  needn't ;  but  take  care  of  yourself,  for  I  want 
to  kill  you  \ — Ah,  ha ! "  exclaimed  Mim,  as  he  found  his 
opportunity  and  ran  his  rapier  an  inch  or  two  into  the  guer- 
rilla's flesh. 

"  Here  goes  then,  blame  you  !  I  was  only  playing  at 
first ;  I  am  fighting  now  ! "  exclaimed  the  angry  guerrilla. 

There  were  a  few  more  rapid  passes,  and  then  Mutchison 
sent  the  rapier  flying  from  Mim's  hand,  and  with  a  sweep- 
ing back  stroke  struck  him  under  the  knees,  and  brought 
him  suddenly  to  the  ground. 


132  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

For  the  first  time  Elfie  screamed,  and  covered  her  eyes. 

"Now  beg  for  quarter,  you  cursed  little  idiot !  "  roared  the 
guerrilla,  with  his  foot  upon  the  small  hero's  chest. 

"  Never  !  I'll  die  before  I'll  ask  my  life  from  you ! "  an- 
swered Mira,  defiantly. 

"  Well,  you're  a  spirited  little  gnat,  that's  certain  !  And 
I'll  give  you  your  life.  Get  up ! "  laughed  Hutchison,  re- 
moving his  foot  from  Mini's  chest,  and  turning  away  to  look 
after  his  men. 

Elfie  stooped  to  raise  her  fallen  champion. 

"  Oh  Mim  !  Mim,  dear,  are  you  hurt  ?  "  she  said,  giving 
him  her  hand  to  assist  him  in  rising. 

c  No — I-m  furious  !  Let  me  up  and  at  him  !  "  exclaimed 
the  mite,  struggling  to  his  feet  and  looking  about  for  his 
rapier. 

"  But,  dear  Mim,  you  can't — you  mustn't !  You  stand  in 
the  position  of  a  paroled  prisoner  now.  The  man  spared 
your  life ! " 

"  I  didn't  ask  him  !  and  I'll  cut  off  his  head !  " 

"  So  you  shall  the  minute  you  are  at  liberty  to  do  so ;  but 
now  you  must  keep  your  implied  parole,"  said  Elfie,  holding 
him  fast ;  for  she  was  really  fond  of  the  brave  little  fellow, 
in  a  sisterly  sort  of  fashion,  and  she  could  not  bear  that  he 
should  recklessly  and  uselessly  fling  away  his  life. 

Meanwhile  Mutchinson  turned  to  his  band,  who  now 
filled  the  whole  area. 

"  Hoi,  my  men !  No  bloodshed  !  Disarm  these  dainty 
gentlemen  without  hurting  them  !  afterwards  we  will  know 
what  to  do  with  them  !  "  roared  the  guerrilla  leader. 

No  need  to  caution  the  men  against  bloodshed !  There 
was  nothing  to  provoke  the  most  wanton  to  it !  Little 
Mim,  to  his  everlasting  honor  and  glory,  had  been  the  only 
man  to  show  fight.  The  others  had  not  even  made  a  pre- 
tence of  resistance.  Where  would  have  been  the  use  ? 
"  What  could  they  'gainst  the  shock  of  hell? " 


AS     THE     LION      WOOS     HIS     BRIDE.        133 

The  picnic  party  numbered  about  thirty-five  persons,  of 
whom  eighteen  were  ladies.  There  were,  then,  but  seven- 
teen gentlemen  ;  and  against  them  two  hundred  fierce  guer- 
rillas ! 

Successful  resistance  was  clearly  impossible,  and  the  pic- 
nickers yielded  without  a  blow ! 

"  Come  !  "  said  Mutchison,  striding  into  the  midst  of 
the  area  and  gazing  around  upon  his  "ragged  rascals." 
"  Come !  I  think  the  first  thing  to  be  done  is  to  exchange 
clothing  with  these  well-dressed  gentlemen,  as  far  as  they 
will  go ;  and  those  among  you,  my  brave  boys,  who  don't 
get  a  nice  garment,  shall  have  its  equivalent  in  money  or 
jewelry,  of  which  I  suppose  there  is  no  lack  among  the 
company  present." 

A  shout  of  approbation  from  the  band  responded  to  this 
speech. 

"  I  think  I  see  a  gentleman  there  whose  elegant  holiday 
attire  seems  to  have  been  made  especially  for  me !  "  said 
Mutchison,  indicating  the  tall,  athletic  form  of  Mr.  Mont- 
gomery Fitz  Smithers,  who,  not  feeling  elated  by  this  dis- 
tinguished notice,  retired  behind  his  companions  and 
squatted  down  out  of  sight. 

"But  the  ladies  must  withdraw  while  we  make  our 
toilet.  Here,  Carter,  you  and  Gates  march  these  girls  to 
the  other  end  of  the  woods  and  guard  them;  and,  hark 
you  !  if  any  man  of  you  attempts  to  kiss  one  of  them  until 
I  give  the  word — dash  him  !  I'll  hang  him  as  high  as 
Haman !  " 

Two  guerrillas  stepped  out  from  the  crowd,  and,  with 
fixed  bayonets  drove  the  young  ladies,  like  a  flock  of  sheep, 
to  the  opposite  edge  of  the  pine  woods. 

No  one  resisted,  not  even  Elfie  ;  for  she  had  no  desire  to 
remain  and  witness  the  interchange  of  good  offices  between 
the  guerrillas  and  the  gentlemen  of  her  party. 

"  And  now  to  business !     I  don't  like  to  inconvenience 


134  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

you,  my  young  friends,  but  necessity  has  no  law  !  and  really 
our  necessities  are  very  great — none  of  us  having  had  a 
change  of  linen  for  two  months  past ! "  said  Hutchison. 

Again  I  say  that  successful  resistance  was  clearly  im- 
possible. 

The  guerrillas  began  to  strip  and  throw  their  foul  rags  in 
a  nauseous  heap  in  the  middle  of  the  ring. 

And  the  unlucky  young  men  had  to  divest  themselves  of 
their  elegant  festive  dresses.  Their  fine  black  broadcloth 
coats  and  trousers,  their  glossy  satin  vests,  their  pure  white 
linen  shirts,  their  hats,  shoes,  socks,  neckties,  pocket- 
handkerchiefs,  gloves,  scarf  pins,  studs,  watches,  chains  and 
purses  were  all  taken  from  them  and  distributed  among  the 
guerrillas. 

And  then  they  were  ordered  to  clothe  themselves  with 
the  wretched  slough  just  cast  by  these  bandits. 

And  it  was  at  once  ludicrous  and  lamentable  to  see  these 
unhappy  youths  poking  and  picking  about  with  sticks  in 
the  heap  of  rank  rags,  in  search  of  the  least  objectionable, 
where,  upon  examination,  every  one  seemed  worse  than  the 
others. 

"  Come,  come, — don't  be  so  hard  to  please  or  you  will  take 
cold  !  These  clothes  were  worn  by  us  long  enough  without 
complaint !  Thunderation  !  why  don't  you  make  haste  and 
dress  yourselves  ?  "  roared  Mutchison. 

And  the  miserable  young  men  had  no  alternative  but 
to  obey,  and  clothe  themselves  from  the  odoriferous  mound 
before  them. 

The  greater  number  of  the  poor  fellows  submitted  ruefully 
enough  to  this  degrading  transformation. 

Only  Mr.  Allison  bore  the  mischance  with  philosophy. 

"  There  are  worse  misfortunes  at  sea  ! "  he  said,  as  he 
invested  himself  in  a  nondescript  garment  of  which  it  was 
almost  impossible  to  tell  the  original  form  or  material,  and 
which  now  hung  about  him  like  sea-weed.  "  ;  A  little  water 


AS     THE      LION      WOOS      HIS     BRIDE.          135 

clears  us  from  this  deed  ! '  In  other  words,  when  we  get  back 
ome,  a  warm  bath  and  a  change  of  dress  will  make  us  all 
right !  "  he  added. 

"  Come  you  !  brother  giant,  I'm  waiting  for  you  !  "  impa- 
tiently cried  Hutchison  to  Fitz  Smithers,  who,  with  Billingcoo 
\vas  putting  off  the  evil  hour  of  undressing  as  long  as 
possible. 

"Come  !  Blazes,  men  !  will  you  make  haste,  or  shall  I 
holp  you  ?  " 

Fitz  Smithers  sprang  a  yard  from  the  ground  in  his  fright, 
and  then  began  nervously  to  strip  himself. 

"  And  you,  sir  !  what  are  you  about  ?  Here  are  several 
of  my  poor  fellows  waiting  for  your  clothes !  Off  with 
them  instantly !  "  thundered  Hutchison,  addressing  himself 
to  the  afflicted  dandy,  who  would  rather  have  died  than  dis- 
robe. 

"Oh  lor!  oh  dear!  I  can't— indeed  I  can't!  I " 

whimpered  Billingcoo. 

"  Oh  !  you  can't,  can't  you  ?  Here,  Covington — here's  a 
young  gentleman  not  used  to  waiting  on  himself — wants  his 
valet.  Come  and  help  him  to  undress,"  shouted  Hutchison. 

A  short,  stout,  bull-necked,  black-muzzled  guerrilla  came 
forward  to  execute  the  order,  and  looked  around  for  the 
victim. 

"  There,  that  dainty  darling  with  the  rose  stuck  in  his 
button-hole,"  said  the  leader. 

"  Oh,  don't!  Oh,  pleathe  don't !  I'll  pay  for  them.  I'll 
ranthom  them.  Iwill  indeed.  My  monthly  pay  will  be  due 
in  two  or  three  dayth,  and  when  I  get  it,  I  will  thend  you 
the  money  from  Wathington.  Indeed  I  will,  general.  I'm  a 
man  of  honor,"  pleaded  Billingcoo. 

"  Take  off  his  coat !  "  roared  Hutchison. 

"Oh,  don't  touch  me  with  thuch  thocking  dirty  handth  ; 
I'll  let  you  have  my  coat,"  said  the  poor  fellow,  carefully 
removing  the  tea  rose  from  his  button-hole,  and  handing 


136  HOW     HE     WON      HER 

over  the  garment,  "  but  leave  me  the  retht  of  my  clotheth, 
do,  now,  general,  and  I'll  thend  you  lotht  of  money  from 
Wathington." 

"  Take  off  his  trousers  !  You  see  he  can't  do  it  for  him- 
self!  "  thundered  Mutchison. 

The  black-muzzled  approached  to  obey. 

"No,  don't!  don't  come  too  near  me!  You  are  thuch  a 
thocking  nuithanth  !  "  cried  the  exquisite,  shrinking  in  dis- 
gust. "  I  will  give  you  my  'panth,  and  they  are  quite  new 
— bought  for  thith  occathon.  But  leave  me  my  under  gar- 
menth.  Do,  general.  Do  leave  me  my  under  garmenth. 
For  dethenthy's  sake,  you  know.  Do,  now,  general !  "  pleaded 
the  poor  fellow,  with  tears  in  his  eyes. 

"  I  am  no  more  a  general  than  you  are  a  man,  you 
nincompoop.  I  am  one  of  Colonel  Goldsborough's  captains, 
that's  all.  Here,  Covington,  peel  him — peel  him  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no,  no,  no !  don't  touch  me  with  thothe  awful 
handth  !  Take  all — take  everything,  mitherable  man  that  I 
am!"  wept  the  dandy,  throwing  off  one  garment  after 
another,  to  the  great  amusement  of  his  companions,  who, 
having  completed  their  exchange  of  dress,  now  forgot  their 
own  miseries  in  watching  the  ludicrous  distress  of  Bil- 
lingcoo. 

When,  with  shivering  frame  and  chattering  teeth,  he  at 
length  approached  the  mound  of  rags  to  clothe  himself,  and 
began  to  poke  about  in  it  with  a  stick  to  find  something 
possible  to  put  on,  suddenly  burst  into  a  flood  of  tears, 
exclaiming: 

"  I  wouldn't  mind  their  being  tho  wagged,  but  they  are 
tho  thockingly  unclean,  and  tbo — tho — inthecty  !  " 

"  Never  mind  their  being  insecty,  Billingcoo.  There  are 
worse  misfortunes  at  sea,"  repeated  Allison. 

While  the  miserable  youth  was  investing  his  dainty 
person  in  these  revolting  garments,  there  was  a  shout 
among  the  guerrillas  near,  and  one  of  them  exclaimed : 


AS     THE     LION      WOOS      HIS      BRIDE.       137 

"  There  is  another  fellow  who  hasn't  peeled  himself, 
Captain  ! " 

Mutchison  turned  and  saw  little  Mim  standing  at  the  foot 
of  the  great  pine  tree  where  Elfie  had  ordered  him  to 
remain,  for  this  champion  would  no  more  have  disobeyed 
his  queen  than  would  the  renewed  Knight  of  La  Mancha 
the  fair  lady  of  Toboso. 

"  Oh,  my  plucky  pigmy !  Let  him  alone,  I  say !  I  won't 
have  him  touched  !  He  deserves  to  keep  his  clean  clothes 
for  showing  so  much  spirit.  And  dash  me  if  I  don't  hang 
the  first  man  that  lays  a  finger  on  him !  "  roared  the  giant. 

Then  turning  about,  he  shouted,  until  his  voice  reached 
the  other  end  of  the  wood  : 

"  Hoi !  Carter !  Gates  !  march  the  ladies  back  again  ! 
We're  dressed  to  receive  them  ! " 

And  as  the  young  ladies,  driven  before  the  fixed  bayonets 
of  the  two  guerrillas,  approached  the  scene,  they  gazed 
upon  their  late  companions  with  ludicrous  consternation. 

Scarcely  a  gentleman  of  the  party  was  recognizable.  All ' 
were  in  rags  that  hung  about  them  in  shreds  like  strings, 
fringes,  tags — anything  but  clothes.  Some  had  hats  with  a 
rim,  but  no  crown,  others  crowns,  but  no  rim ;  no  one  had  a 
whole  tile,  and  even  those  who  were  favored  with  half  a  one 
had  no  shoes,  and  those  who  had  shoes  had  no  hats.  Some 
had  trousers  whose  ragged  legs  dangled  just  below  their 
knees,  but  no  coats  ;  others  had  apologies  for  coats,  but 
nether  garments  of  which  the  less  said  the  better.  And  all 
pervaded  with  an  atmosphere  that  would  have  driven  away 
any  set  of  ladies  not  marched  in  at  the  point  of  the 
bayonet. 

Some  of  these  victims  shrunk  out  of  sight  in  the  crowd, 
as  their  fair  friends  drew  near;  others  turned  the  mischance 
into  a  joke.  Poor  Billingcoo,  who  was  in  the  worst  plight 
of  all,  because  he  had  hud  the  last  pickings  of  the  rags, 
tried  to  hide  himself  from  Eliie's  laughing  eyes,  but  oould 
not  succeed. 


138  HOW      HE      WON.  HER. 

"  Oh,  Mith  Fielding,"  he  cried,  with  the  tears  running 
down  his  face,  "  don't  look  at  me  !  Turn  away  your  eyeth, 
for  they  break  my  heart !  " 

At  this  Elfie  burst  into  an  irrepressible  fit  of  laughter,  in 
which  she  was  joined  by  all  her  companions,  whose  sense  of 
the  ludicrous,  for  the  time  being,  overcame  their  terrors. 

"  Oh,  grandma  !  thee  how  they  laugh  at  me  !  And  who 
can  blame  them?  for  only  thee  what  a  guy  fox  the 
wretcheth  have  made  of  me  !  "  wept  Billingcoo. 

"  Don't  be  a  simpleton,  Lew.  And  don't  call  bad  names. 
Thank  Providence  that  you've  saved  your  life  with  the  loss 
of  your  clothes,"  said  the  old  lad}7. 

Here  the  voice  of  Mutchison  roared  above  all  other 
noises : 

""Hoi!  Grinnel!  Have  the  dinner  dished  up  !  we'll  dine 
sumptuously  on  the  fare  provided  by  our  entertainers,  the 
picnic  party  !  And  afterwards  we'll  have  a  dance,  for  I  see 
they've  got  a  band  here.  Hoi !  you  nigger  minstrels ! 
Tune  up  your  instruments.  We'll  march  to  our  meals  to 
the  sound  of  music  !  Come  !  strike  up  ! " 

The  terrified  darkies,  either  knowing  no  better  or  forget- 
ting in  their  fright  all  they  ought  to  have  remembered, 
struck  up— "  Hail  Columbia/' 

"  Not  that !  Not  that !  dash  you  !  What  do  you  mean, 
burn  you  ?  <  Dixie  ! '  play  <  Dixie  ! ' "  thundered  Mutch- 
ison. 

The  panic-stricken  musicians  obeyed  as  well  as  they 
could,  and  struck  up  "Dixie,"  though  in  rather  a  quavering 
and  uncertain  style. 

"  Come,  gentlemen  and  ladies,  now  to  dinner,  and  after- 
wards to  the  dance.  Boys,  you  who  are  in  evening  dresses, 
each  select  the  lady  of  his  choice  and  lead  her  gallantly. 
And  that  reminds  me  !  My  brave  little  knight  of  the  pig- 
mies, take  the  lady  you  would  have  died  to  defend — you  see 
uo  harm  has  happened  to  her— and  conduct  her  to  dinner  I 


AS      THE     LION      WO  OS      HIS      BRIDE.       139 

'  None  but  the  brave, 

None  but  the  brave, 

None  but  the  BKAVE  deserve  the  fair ! ' " 

Before  Mini  could  reply,  Elfie,  to  keep  him  out  of  mis- 
chief and  also  to  escape  the  escort  of  any  of  the  guerrilla 
hand,  seized  his  hand  firmly  and  drew  it  through  her  arm. 

"Age  before  beauty  !  And  I  would  not  be  remiss  in 
courtesy.  I  have  a  grandmamma  of  my  own  somewhere 
down  in  Dixie!"  exclaimed  Mutchison,  dancing  up  to  the 
old  lady,  tucking  her  under  his  arm  and  leading  the  way  to 
the  dinner  table,  followed  by  Elfie  and  Mim,  and  members 
of  the  guerrilla  band  leading  young  ladies,  who  were  too 
much  frightened  to  offer  any  sort  of  opposition. 

"  Now  don't  be  scared,  girls.  Take  it  coolly  as  you  can. 
Bless  your  hearts,  these  men  aint  agoing  to  hurt  a  hair  of 
your  heads.  And  this  adventure  with  guerrillas  will  be 
something  for  you  to  talk  about  to  your  grandchildren  when 
your  hair  is  as  gray  as  mine  is  now,"  said  the  lively  old 
lady,  as  she  settled  herself  comfortably  upon  a  little  hillock 
of  dry  grass  that  Mutchison  had  found  for  her,  near  the 
table  cloth  where  the  feast  was  spread.  And  such  a  feast ! 

There  were  oysters,  fish  and  game;  baked  and  boiled 
meats  ;  poultry ;  pastry ;  canned  fruits  ;  confectionary  ;  ale, 
wine  and  brandy. 

Such  "  gentlemen"  as  had  ladies  on  their  arms  gathered 
around  the  outer  edge  of  the  "  spread  " — a  gentleman  and 
lady  sitting  alternately. 

Before  seating  himself,  Mutchison  looked  about  and 
thought  he  saw  great  discontent  among  the  famished  mem- 
bers of  his  band  who  were  left  outside  of  this  favored  circle 
around  the  tablecloth,  and  so  he  sang  out: 

"  Boys !  there  are  provisions  enough  in  the  hampers, 
boxes  and  barrels  over  there  around  the  cooking  fires,  to 
feed  the  whole  band.  Away  with  you  and  help  your- 
selves!" 


140  *          HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

The  starved  ragamuffins  needed  no  second  bidding,  but 
started  off  en  masse  for  the  reserved  stores. 

The  dinner  at  which  Mutchison  presided,  went  off  very 
merrily  for  the  guerrillas;  not  so  very  much  so  for  the 
picnickers. 

Hutchison  drank  a  great  deal  more  of  Allison's  choice 
brandy  than  was  good  for  him  ;  and  towards  the  last  of  the 
feast  he  lost  his  temper,  and  began  to  swear  at  the  waiters 
and  bully  the  musicians ;  and  then  he  apologized  to  the 
ladies  for  forgetting  their  presence,  laying  the  blame  on  his 
camp  life,  deprived  of  their  refining  influence. 

The  feast  was  very  prolonged,  and  Mutchison  and  his 
boon  companions  chose  to  linger  still  longer  over  their  wine  ; 
but  he  would  on  no  account  permit  the  ladies  to  retire.  Ho 
had  been  too  long  debarred  from  their  delightful  society  to 
give  it  up  easily,  he  said. 

Meanwhile  the  sun  had  set ;  and  Mntchison  ordered  some 
of  his  men  to  light  pine  knots  and  hold  them  aloft,  to 
illuminate  the  scene. 

And  a  score  or  two  of  these  primitive  torches  made  the 
whole  area  sufficiently  light. 

When  at  length  the  feast  came  to  an  end,  Mutchison  rose 
from  his  seat,  crying  out ; 

"  A  dance !  a  dance !  Strike  up  the  Virginia  reel, 
'darkies  !  That  is  the  figure  that  will  take  in  an  unlimited 
number  of  performers.  And  here  is  a  natural  hall  large 
enough  to  allow  a  reel  a  quarter  of  a  mile  long.  And  dash 
me  to  dust  if  every  man-jack  sha'ii't  join  !  Take  your 
partners,  gentlemen  ;  I've  got  mine  ! " 

And  instigated  by  the  very  spirit  of  mischief,  he  seized 
the  lively  old  lady,  who  was  too  wise  to  resist,  and  trotted 
her  off  to  the  head  of  the  reel  to  open  the  ball. 

"  Come,  my  little  miniature  hero ;  don't  be  backward ! 
Bring  the  lady  of  your  worship  along  !  "  cried  Mutchison. 

And  Elfie,  to  keep  her  little  champion  out  of  trouble, 
drew  him  into  the  reel. 


AS     THE     LION      WOOS     HIS     BRIDE.        141 

The  guerrillas,  with  their  unwilling  partners,  followed. 
And  even  the  wretched  youth  of  the  picnic  party  were 
compelled  to  join  the  orgies. 

And  a  reel  commenced,  wild  as  the  dance  of  witches  in 
Kirk  Alloway,  where  old  Nick  was  piper. 

"  The  mirth  and  fun  grew  fast  and  furious! 

The  piper  loud  and  louder  blew! 

The  dancers  fast  and  faster  flew ! 
They  reeled,  they  set,  they  crossed,  they  " 

Suddenly,  in  the  midst  of  these  orgies,  a  cheer  was  heard 
from  the  men  in  the  back  ground.  And  an  officer,  mounted, 
and  attended  by  his  staff,  galloped  up  in  the  midst  of  the 
area. 

"  My  traitor !  "  exclaimed  Elfie,  under  her  breath,  as  she 
recognized  Albert  Goldsborough. 

A  very  handsome  man  was  this  guerrilla  chief — this 
licensed  brigand,  who  bore  a  colonel's  commission.  He  was 
taller  and  stouter  than  when  first  presented  to  the  reader; 
his  hair  and  beard  were  of  a  darker  and  richer  auburn ;  his 
face  and  figure  more  martial  and  dignified  than  heretofore. 

So  Elfie  thought  as  she  covertly  watched  him. 

He  dashed  into  the  midst  of  his  band  and  raised  his 
hand,  exclaiming : 

"  Break  up  your  bivouac !  Boots  and  saddles !  A 
squadron  of  the  enemy's  cavalry  are  out  in  search  of  us: 
and  they  have  struck  our  trail !  " 

A  yell  of  defiance  responded  to  this  announcement,  as 
the  men  all  started  to  go  in  search  of  their  horses,  which 
were  left  tied  in  the  pine  woods. 

A  few  men,  however,  remained,  guarding  the  prisoners. 

"  Leave  these  people  to  find  their  way  home  as  they  can ! 
We  cannot  be  encumbered  with  them  !  And  Mutchison ! 
seize  that  girl  and  bring  her  along  after  me  !  that  girl  in 
the  claret-colored  dress  !  "  cried  Goldsborough. 

"  Claret  ? "  repeated  Mutchison,  looking  around  in  per- 
plexity ;  for  he  was  very  considerably  "  fuddled." 


142  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

"  Seize  the  girl  in  the  red  stuff  gown,  and  bring  her  after 
me  ! "  cried  Goldsborough,  as  he  turned  and  rode  off. 
"  Oh  ! "  exclaimed  Mutchison. 

And  without  more  ado  he  pounced  upon  Elfie,  threw  her 
over  his  great  shoulders  and  bore  her  off,  she  screaming  and 
struggling  violently,  in  the  direction  taken  by  Golds- 
borough. 

Little  Mim  sprang  instantly  to  the  rescue,  gave  chase, 
overtook  the  giant,  and  attempted  to  stop  him  by  seizing 
his  leg.  The  act  nearly  threw  the  guerrilla  down,  but  he 
quickly  recovered  himself,  whirled  around,  and  with  the 
iron  handle  of  his  sword  aimed  a  blow  on  the  head  of  Mim, 
which  struck  the  little  hero,  bleeding  and  senseless,  to 
the  ground. 

"  Oh,  you  villain !  I'll  have  you  hanged  for  that ! " 
screamed  Elfie. 

"  Oh  no,  you  won't !  I'll  give  you  a  better  sweetheart 
than  that  little  fellow  ! "  laughed  Mutchison,  and  he  contin- 
ued his  flight,  no  one  else  daring  to  stop  him,  until  he 
reached  a  clearing  in  the  pines'  where  the  whole  cavalry 
force  of  Goldsborough's  guerrillas  were  preparing  to  mount. 
i  Colonel  Goldsborough  was  in  the  midst, 
s  "Mutchison,  set  that  girl  on  the  horse  behind  me,  and 
secure  her  to  my  waist  with  these  two  straps  !  "  said  Golds- 
borough. 

And  Mutchison  prepared  to  obey. 

Now  had  Elfie  been  a  very  dignified  young  lady  she 
would  have  been  too  proud  to  resist  where  resistance  was 
vain.  But  Elfie  had  more  temper  than  dignity.  And  so 
she  fought  and  kicked  and  scratched  and  bit  and  screamed 
and  scolded  with  all  her  might  and  main,  and  left  upon  the 
face  of  Mutchison  marks  of  her  teeth  and  nails  that  he 
would  be  likely  to  carry  to  his  grave. 

"  Thunderation !  what  a  little  tiger-cat!  Look  here, 
girl !  if  you  leave  the  prints  of  your  fingers  on  my  face  in 


A     MOONLIGHT     FLIGHT.  143 

that  style,  the  men  will  be  taking  me  for  your  lusband, 
and  the  colonel  wouldn't  like  that ! "  laughed  Mutchison. 

After  much  difficulty  Elfie  was  conquered,  and  bound 
upon  her  seat  behind  her  captor,  who  put  spurs  to  liis  horse 
and  bore  her  off  in  triumph ! 


CHAPTER  XL 

A   MOONLIGHT   FLIGHT. 

"  She  is  won  !  we  are  gone  over  bank,  bush  and  scaur ; 
They'll  have  fleet  steeds  that  follow,"  quoth  young  Lochinvar, 
So  daring  in  love  and  so  dauntless  in  war. 
Have  ye  e'er  heard  of  gallant  like  young  Lochinvar? — SCOTT. 

HAVING  left  orders  for  his  men  to  scatter  and  spread 
themselves  through  the  forest  and  take  different  roads  to 
their  secret  rendezvous,  the  guerrilla  colonel  took  the  moun- 
tain path  and  flew  over  it  at  a  reckless  rate,  with  as  little 
regard  to  his  captive's  cries*  as  to  his  own  neck. 

Elfie  was  seated  on  the  horse  behind  him  and  securely 
bound  by  a  strong  leathern  girdle  that  passed  around  her 
waist  arid  was  clasped  in  front  of  his. 

Elfie  never  ceased  to  struggle  and  to  scold.  Her  arms 
were  free  and  she  could  reach  hie  head,  so  she  cuffed  his 
cheeks  and  pulled  his  hair  with  all  her  might  and  main. 
And  she  poured  out  scorn  like  lava  on  him. 

But  Goldsborough  treated  the  pummelling  and  pulling  as 
caresses,  and  the  scolding  as  compliments ;  indeed,  he 
scarcely  noticed  the  one  or  replied  to  the  other ;  until,  after 
having  reached  the  top  of  the  mountain,  they  began  to 
descend  into  a  deep  wooded  dell,  by  a  path  so  narrow  and 
difficult  that  it  was  necessary  to  slacken  speed. 

"  Unbind  me  !  Put  me  down !  Shame  of  manhood  ! 
how  dare  you  treat  me  so  ?  "  cried  Elfie,  furiously,  seizing 
his  ears  and  making  her  nails  almost  meet  through  them. 


144  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

"  Blazes !  what  a  little  tigress  she  is,  to  be  sure  !  I  shall 
have  to  cut  her  claws/'  laughed  Albert  Goldsborough. 

"  I'll  cut  your  throat ! "  cried  Elfie. 

"  Oh,  no  you  won't,  my  dear !  You  will  love  me  too  well. 
You'll  love  me  as  well  as  the  Sabine  girls  loved  the  Eoman 
youths  who  carried  them  off  against  their  wills,  just  as  I 
am  carrying  you  !  "  laughed  Albert. 

"  I'll  see  you  hanged  first  ! "  fired  Elfie.    t 

"  Of  course  you  will,  my  dear ! — around  your  neck  ! 
Come,  come,  Elfie !  Stop  trying  to  tear  my  ears  out  by  the 
roots,  for  I  don't  think  you'll  succeed.  And  do  be  reasona- 
ble !  You  don't  know  what  a  gay  life  we  are  going  to  lead 
here  in  the  green  wood.  Your  most  romantic  dreams  will 
be  realized.  You'll  think  that  you  have  slipped  out  of  the 
nineteenth  century  and  slid  down  into  the  twelfth.  You'll 
fancy  yourself  in  Epping  forest,  living  with  Eobin  Hood 
and  his  merry  men — except  that  we  don't  wear  Lincoln 
green,  Elfie ;  but  Confederate  gray.  Come !  shall  I  be 
your  Robin  Hood  ?  And  will  you  be  my  maid  Marion  ?  " 

"I'll  be  your  death  ! "  blazed  Elfie. 

"  Oh,  no  you  won't,  my  dear.  You'll  do  as  I  said 
before." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  me,  you  demon  ?  " 

"  Marry  you,  my  angel !  " 

"  Marry  me  !"  cried  Elfie,  nearly  choking  with  rage. 

"  Yes,  my  dear.  We  have  a  '  Friar  Tuck  '  in  our  band, 
who  will  gladly  solemnize  the  nuptial  rites  and  dispense 
with  the  formality  of  a  license  or  a  wedding  ring." 

"  And  do  you  think — do  you  think,  you  matchless  vil- 
lain ! "  cried  Elfie,  again  seizing  his  ears  with  her  nails  and 
wringing  them  with  all  her  strength,  "  do  you  really  think 
that  I  will  consent  to  such  an  outrage  ?  " 

"  Friar  Tuck  will  dispense  with  the  bride's^  consent  as 
well  as  with  the  license,  and  the  wedding  ring  !  "  answered 
Goldsborough,  coolly. 


A     MOONLIGHT     PLIGHT.  145 

"  Oh,  villain  !  I  hope — I  do  hope  that  neither  steel  nor 
ball  may  ever  save  you  from  the  halter ! "  gasped  Elfie, 
giving  his  ears  a  most  vicious  wring. 

"  See  here,  my  girl,  we  are  coming  to  the  ford !  and  we 
must  be  careful !  Just  give  my  ears  a  holiday  for  a  few 
minutes,  will  you,  while  you  draw  u-p  your  feet  and  fold 
your  skirts  up  over  your  lap  to  keep  them  from  getting 
we^"  said  Albert,  as  they  emerged  from  the  wooded  gorge 
of  the  mountain  and  descended  to  the  banks  of  the  river, 
now  shining  like  a  stream  of  fluid  silver,  in  the  broad 
moonlight. 

"  I  won't !  I  don't  care  if  I  do  get  wet,  or  drown  either ! 
I'd  be  glad  to  drown,  if  I  thought  I  could  drown  you  with 
me  !  "  exclaimed  Elfie. 

"  See  how  she  loves  me  !  she  is  willing  to  meet  death 
itself  if  shared  with  me,"  mocked  Albert.  So  here  we  go." 

And  he  plunged  into  the  river. 

Splash !  splash !  splash !  they  went  through  the  water, 
making  the  foam  fly  in  every  direction. 

The  gallant  horse,  heavily  laden  as  he  was,  bravely 
breasted  the  current,  and  reached  the  opposite  shore  in 
safety. 

"  Elfie,  my  darling,  do  you  know  why  I  made  this  last 
raid  into  Maryland  ?  "  inquired  the  guerrilla,  as  they  strug- 
gled up  the  slippery  bank. 

"  No,  nor  care,  you  miscreant !  "  snapped  Elfie. 

"  Can't  you  guess  ?  " 

"  To  burn  barns,  and  steal  cattle,  and  rob  hen-roosts,  I 
suppose,"  sneered  Elfie. 

"No.  I  went  simply  to  fetch  you,  and  for  no  other 
reason  in  the  world,"  answered  Albert. 

"  Me  !  How  on  earth  did  you  know  I  was  there  ?  "  in- 
quired Elfie,  thrown  off  her  guard  by  unbounded  astonish- 
ment. 

"  By  the  same  means  through  which  I  become  acquainted 
9 


146  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

with  most  events  that  pass  in  Washington — by  my  spies. 
I  learned  that  you  were  getting  up  a  picnic  to  go  to  the 
Great  Falls.  And  I  determined  to  intercept  your  return." 

"  Oh,  the  traitress  !  It  was  Alberta.  It  was  no  one  but 
Alberta  that  informed  you.  For  I  remember  I  mentioned 
to  her  at  breakfast  that  morning,  that  I  wanted  to  get  up  a 
picnic  to  go  up  the  river !  "  indignantly  exclaimed  Elfie. 

"  Well,  yes,  it  was  Alberta  who  first  told  me  of  the  in- 
tended excursion.  But  she  did  not  tell  me  the  day  it  was 
to  come  off." 

"  ~No,  for  the  day  was  not  fixed  when  she  ran  away,  the 
ingrate,  so  she  could  not  have  told  you." 

"  But  one  of  my  other  spies,  who  was  a  member  of  your 
picnic  party  could." 

"  A  spy  in  our  picnic  party  !  That  is  false,  you  villain  ! 
Albert  Goldsborough,  have  you  become  mendacious  as  well 
as  thievish  ?  The  members  of  our  picnic  party  were  loyal. 
We  would  have  taken  no  others,"  angrily  cried  Elfie. 

"As  far  as  you  know,"  laughed  Goldsborough  ;  adding  : 
"  Now,  mv  dear,  I  don't  mind  telling  you,  because  I  never 
intend  to  let  you  go  back  to  report  it,  that  there  are  no 
people  in  the  world  so  profuse  in  their  expressions  of  loyalty 
as  my  spies  in  Washington ! " 

They  were  now  ascending  a  steep  and  narrow  path,  leading 
from  the  river  banks  up  to  the  rocks  above,  and  slippery 
and  dangerous  from  the  many  fallen  leaves.  Albert  Golds- 
borough  was  riding  very  cautiously,  leaning  forward  over 
his  horse's  neck  to  preserve  the  equilibrium  of  weight, 
and  guiding  him  carefully.  Once  or  twice  the  horse  slipped 
and  stumbled,  but  recovered  himself  immediately. 

Elfie  saw  all  this,  and  enraged  by  Goldsborough's  boast 
that  he  never  intended  to  let  her  go  back,  she  recklessly  set 
herself  to  overturn  horse  and  riders  together.  She  was 
securely  bound,  you  already  know,  with  a  broad  leathern 
girdle  to  Albert's  waist ;  but  her  limbs  were  all  free.  So 


A     MOONLIGHT     FLIGHT.  147 

she  raised  herself  as  well  as  she  could  from  her  seat,  and 
laying  hold  of  Goldsborough's  shoulders,  pulled  and 
hung  back  with  all  her  might  to  bring  the  weight  behind, 
while  she  pummelled  the  horse's  flanks  to  make  him  rear 
and  lose  his  balance. 

"  What  are  you  about,  Elfie  ?  Do  you  wish  to  make  the 
horse  fall !  "  exclaimed  Albert. 

"  That  is  just  what  I  am  trying  to  do,  you  villain  !  I  don't 
care  if  the  horse  rolls  over  backwards,  on  to  us,  and  we  all 
go  rolling  over  and  over  each  other,  till  we  fall  to  the  bottom 
of  the  precipice,  a  ball  of  crushed  bones  ! "  screamed  Elfie, 
pulling  and  tugging  and  kicking,  and  doing  all  she  could  to 
effect  her  purpose  ;  but  in  vain. 

She  made  the  horse  slip  and  stumble,  and  shake  his  head 
impatiently  when  he  recovered  himself;  but  that  was  all. 

At  last,  breathless  and  exhausted,  she  ceased  her  efforts. 

Albert  turned  his  head  and  laughed  at  her. 

"  Why,  my  dear,  this  old  horse  is  a  veteran  !  He  has 
been  in  too  many  pitched  battles,  and  in  too  many  neck  or 
nothing  hunts — he  has  forded  too  many  rivers,  climbed  too 
many  mountains,  faced  too  many  batteries,  and  ridden  down 
too  many  fixed  bayonets — to  be  disturbed  by  trifles !  And 
here  we  are  at  the  top  of  the  mountain  ;  so  you  needn't 
resume  your  efforts  to  pitch  us  down,"  he  added,  as  they 
reached  the  summit,  and  entered  a  thick  copse  wood  of 
cedars,  where  here  and  there  grew  gigantic  forest  trees. 

"I'll  make  him  dash  your  brains  out  against  some  of 
these  trees ! "  cried  Elfie.  And  she  tried  another  experi- 
ment. She  raised  herself  in  her  seat,  screamed,  halloed, 
shouted,  and  made  the  most  unearthly  noises  to  frighten 
the  horse  and  make  him  run  away  ;  but  all  to  no  purpose ; 
and  once  more  she  ceased  for  want  of  breath. 

"  How  well  you'll  sleep  to-night,  after  all  these  violent 
exertions  !  "  laughed  Albert  Goldsborough  ;  "  and  the  good 
night's  rest  will  be  about  all  the  good  that  you  will  obtaui 
bv  the  stupendous  efforts.  Blesa  you,  my  dear,  the  old 


148  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

horse  is  used  to  the  roar  of  hattle  and  the  thunder  of  can- 
non !  It  isn't  likely  that  he  is  going  to  suffer  himself  to 
be  annoyed  by  your  little  two-penny  trumpet ! " 

"  I'll  take  out  every  pin  I  have  about  me,  and  stick  them 
up  to  their  heads-,-  in  his  hide  !  "  screamed  Elfie,  beginning 
to  do  as  she  threatened. 

"Try  it.  They'll  rus-t  there  before  he  takes  any  notice. 
Lord  love  you,  girl,  what  are  pins  to  bayonets  !  He  is  used 
to  having  bayonets  stuck  into  him  ! "  mocked  the  colonel. 

"  Albert  Goldsborough !  you  basest  of  all  base  mis- 
creants !  where  are  you  daring  to  take  me  ?  "  demanded 
Elfie,  beginning  to  shake  with  her  increasing  sense  of 
shame  and  rage  and  terror. 

"  To  the  green  wood,  you  fairest  of  all  beauties !  To  the 
green  wood,  though  it  would  not  be  so  very  green  at  this 
season  of  the  year  if  it  were  not  for  the  pines  and  cedars ! 
To  the  green  wood,  to  be  married  to  Eobin  Hood,  by  his 
chaplain  Friar  Tuck,  and  to  be  Robin's  Maid  Marion,  and 
live  among  his  merry  men  forever !  " 

"  If  I  cannot  succeed  in  killing  you  before  I  leave  this 
seat,  I'll  do  it  afterwards !  I  will,  as  surely  as  I  am  my 
mother's  daughter ! "  fiercely  exclaimed  Elfie,  springing 
once  more  up  from  her  seat,  and  seizing  her  captor's  ears, 
and  trying  her  very  utmost  to  wring  and  tear  them  off. 

At  that  moment  the  clatter  of  horse's  feet  was  heard 
behind,  and  the  next  the  huge  form  of  Mutchison  appeared, 
galloping  rapidly  after  his  chief. 

Goldsborough  halted  until  his  officer  came  up. 

"  What  news  ?  "  demanded  the  colonel. 

"  Good  !  Our  scouts  come  in  and  report  that  the  enemy's 
cavalry,  out  in  search  of  us,  have  gone  off  on  a  false  scent, 
that  I  took  care  to  have  laid  for  them.  Our  men  have 
divided  themselves  in  small  parties  and  taken  separate 
roads,  and  will  rendezvous  at  the  Black  Bear's  Pass,  as  you 
ordered.  But,  good  gracious,  Colonel,  now  I  look  at  you, 
have  you  been  in  a  battle  ?  " 


A     MOONLIGHT     FLIGHT.  149 

"No — except  with  this  little  wildcat  here  in  which  she 
has  done  all  the  fighting  !  "  laughed  Goldsborough. 

"  Your  ears  are  each  one  clot  of  gore  ! " 

"I  dare  say,  though  they  feel  to  me  as  if  they  were  each 
one  hall  of  fire  !  See  here,  Mutchison — much  as  I  dislike 
to  restrain  a  young  lady,  we  shall  have  to  confine  her 
hands,  or  I  shall  not-  have  an  ear,  or  a  lock  of  hair  left  on 
my  head !  Take  this  pocket-handkerchief  and  tie  her 
hands." 

"  Pity  it  hadn't  heen  done  first,  colonel !  It  would  have 
saved  your  beauty  from  being  spoiled,  and  mine  too. 
Tliunderation !  I  would  as  leave  try  to  tie  a  catamount, 
with  a  thousand  claws ! "  exclaimed  Mutchison,  as  he 
sought  to  secure  the  hands  of  Elfie,  who  fought,  scratched, 
and  bit  with  so  much  effect  that  the  guerrilla's  face  and 
eyes  came  to  great  grief  before  he  succeeded  in  binding 
her. 

After  that  they  rode  on  more  quietly  through  the  woods, 
though  Elfie  did  not  cease  to  use  her  tongue,  even  if  she 
could  not  use  her  hands. 

"  Yes,  you  murderer !  don't  think  but  what  I'll  have  you 
hanged  for  killing  Mim,  for  I'm  sure  you  have  killed  him  !  " 
Elfie  exclaimed,  for  the  first  time  bursting  into  tears  of 
passionate  sorrow  as  well  as  of  rage. 

"  That  little  tiny  fellow  !  What  if  I  did  ?  You  didn't 
call  him  a  man,  did  you  ?  "  chuckled  Mutchison. 

"  Yes,  you  monster !  a  thousand  times  more  of  a  man 
than  you  and  your  master  either,  ever  was  !  "  sobbed  Elfie. 

"  Why,  he  wasn't  bigger  than  one  of  my  legs  !  " 

"  Don't  sneer  at  his  size,  you  coarse  brute  !  He  had  more 
spirit  than  all  your  cut-throat,  chicken-stealing  tribe  put  to- 
gether. You  huge  brutes,  if  you  have  any  soul  at  all,  have 
it  diluted  with  too  much  body  to  make  it  worth  anything  ! " 
cried  Elfie,  with  hot  scorn. 

"  Oh,   come,    now.      Don't    be    vindictive.      If   I  did 


150  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

knock  the  little  fellow  on  the  head,  I  promised  you  a  bigger 
sweetheart,  and  you've  got  him,"  chuckled  the  guerilla. 

"  Mutchison,  let  this  cease.  I  desire  that  Miss  Fielding 
may  be  treated  with  all  the  consideration  possible  under  the 
circumstances,"  said  Colonel  Goldsborough,  sternly. 

"  Oh,  that's  it,  is  it  ?  Then  I  must  order  myself  accord- 
ingly," muttered  the  guerrilla  to  himself,  but  he  raised  his 
hat  to  his  colonel  in  token  of  obedience. 

They  rode  on  silently  through  the  woods  a  little  while 
longer,  and  then  Goldsborough  said: 

"We  bivouac  with  the  Tree  Sword'  to-night,  and  to- 
morrow, if  the  road  should  be  clear,  go  on  to  our  rendezvous 
at  the  Black  Bear's  Pass.  I  think  that  we  are  not  very  far 
from  Corson's  encampment  now,  are  we  ?  " 

"  It  is  in  a  clearing  in  this  forest  somewhere,  and  I  think 
that  this  path  leads  to  it,  Colonel.  We  shall  see  in  a  little 
while,"  answered  Mutchison. 

"  So  we  stop  with  the  Free  Sword,  do  we,  to-night  ?  And 
we  shall  see  Alberta  !  And  if  we  do — "  exclaimed  Elfie, 
setting  her  teeth  and  drawing  in  her  breath. 

"  You'll  tear  her  eyes  out  if  we  leave  your  hands  free," 
laughed  the  huge  guerrilla. 

"  Mutchison  ! "  exclaimed  Colonel  Goldsborough. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Colonel.  I  will  say  no  more,"  re- 
plied the  man. 

And  they  pursued  their  way  in  silence,  until  the  forest 
grew  thinner,  and  they  seemed  to  be  approaching  a  clear- 
ing. 

"  I  see  lights  gleaming  through  the  distance.  Can  they 
be  the  campfires  of  the  Free  Sword  ! "  inquired  Golds- 
borough. 

"Yes,  Colonel,  I  think  so,"  answered  Mutchison,  as 
they  emerged  from  the  thicket  into  a  small,  open  space. 

The  next  moment  they  came  upon  a  picket  guard,  and 
were  challenged. 


A     MOONLIGHT     PLIGHT.  151 

Who  goes  there  ?  " 

"  Friends  !  "  answered  the  colonel. 

"Advance,  friends,  and  give  the  countersign." 

"  I  don't  know  your  countersign,  but  you  know  me  well 
enough,  Robinson.  I  am  Colonel  Goldsborough." 

"Very  sorry,  Colonel,  but  I  can't  let  you  pass  without 
the  countersign." 

"  I  am  on  a  visit  to  your  chief,  in  answer  to  his  repeated 
invitations." 

"Very  sorry,  Colonel,  but  it  is  as  much  as  my  life  is 
worth  to  let  you  pass." 

"  Call  the  corporal  of  the  guard,  then,  blame  you." 

The  word  was  passed  for  the  corporal  of  the  guard,  who 
presently  appeared  upon  the  scene. 

"  Here  is  Colonel  Goldsborough  wants  to  pass  and  doesn't 
know  the  countersign,"  explained  the  picket. 

"You  know  me  well  enough,  Jenkins,"  said  Goldsbor- 
ough, addressing  the  petty  officer. 

"  Yes,  sir  but  I  dare  not  pass  you  without  my  colonel's 
orders,  though.  If  you  will  wait,  I  will  send  a  messenger 
up  to  his  quarters,"  said  the  corporal. 

"Do,  then,  and  be  quick  about  it,"  exclaimed  Goldsbor- 
ough, impatiently. 

While  waiting  for  the  return  of  the  messenger,  Golds- 
borough  looked  about  with  some  curiosity,  for  this  was  a 
new  encampment  of  the  Free  Sword,  to  which  his  brother- 
in-arms  had  never  been  before. 

He  saw  that  they  were  in  a  very  small  clearing,  where 
the  trees  had  been  cut  down  to  make  room  and  furnish  ma- 
terial for  a  picket's  hut,  that  stood  in  the  very  midst  of  the 
small,  open  space.  Before  this  hut  was  burning  a  fire  of 
brushwood,  and  around  it  were  three  or  four  guerrillas  at 
rest,  beside  the  sentry  on  duty. 

Presently  the  messenger  returned  in  attendance  upon  the 
Free  Sword,  who  came  in  person  to  receive  his  brother-in- 
arms. 


152  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

Vittorio  Corsoni  was  not  much  changed  in  personal 
appearance  since  we  saw  him  last.  Originally  very  dark  in 
complexion,  exposure  to  the  sun,  wind  and  weather  could 
not  make  him  much  darker,  and  he  had  the  same  long,  black 
curls,  small,  white  teeth,  and  large,  melancholy  eyes — eyes 
that  had  so  mesmerized  every  woman  that  had  ever  come 
under  their  influence,  and  so  he  witched  Alberta  Goldsborough 
to  her  destruction,  and  he  had  the  same  slight,  agile  and 
graceful  figure  that  so  reminded  the  beholder  of  a  tiger.  He 
wore  a  uniform  of  black  cloth,  with  a  crimson  sash  around 
his  waist,  a  sword  by  his  side,  and  a  black  wide-awake  hat, 
with  a  black  feather,  fastened  with  a  great  fiery  carbuncle. 

He  walked  briskly  up  to  Goldsborough  to  embrace  him 
after  the  Italian  fashion,  and  in  doing  so  noticed  the  young 
lady  on  the  horse  behind  him,  and  he  raised  his  cap  to  the 
lady  before  he  offered  to  greet  her  cavalier. 

Albert  bent  low  from  his  saddle  to  meet  the  advance 
of  his  friend,  who,  after  kissing  him  on  both  cheeks,  started 
back,  exclaiming: 

"  But,  good  Heavens,  Goldsborough  !  what  has  happened 
to  your  ears  ?  Have  they  been  torn  off  ?  " 

"No,"  laughed  Albert;  "they  have  been  clawed  off, 
chawed  off  by  this  little  catamount  on  the  horse  behind 
me  ! " 

"Vittorio  Corsoni,  don't  you  know  me?  I  am  Elfrida 
Yielding,  your  old  pupil." 

"  Know  you,  fair  lady  ?  Perhaps  not  at  first.  I  am  glad 
to  do  so  now.  Welcome  to  my  poor  camp,"  said  the  Free 
Sword,  removing  his  hat  and  holding  it  in  his  hand. 

"  Colonel  Corsoni,  you  used  to  be  a  gentleman.  You  will 
protect  me,  I  hope,  from  this  miscreant  who  has  torn  me 
away  from  my  friends  and  brought  me  here." 

"  Fair  lady,  we  brothers-in-arms  support  each  other  in  love 
as  in  war,"  said  Yittorio  gently. 

"  But  he  brought  me  here  against  my  will ! "  cried  Elfie, 
indignantly. 


A     MOONLIGHT     FLIGHT.  153 

11  Sweet  lady,  stratagem  is  as  fair  in  love  as  in  war   " 

"But  there  was  no  stratagem.  He  brought  me  here  by 
violence ! " 

"  It  was  the  violence  of  passion  inspired  by  your  too  de- 
lightful beauty.  Gentle  lady,  you '  must  forgive  him," 
answered  Vittorio.  And  then,  with  a  deep  bow,  he  turned 
away  from  Elfie,  and,  addressing  Albert,  inquired : 

"  Shall  we  move  forward  ?  " 

"  If  you  please,  Corsoni,"  answered  Colonel  Goldsborough. 

And  the  party  started — Albert  Goldsborough  letting  his 
horse  pace  slowly  while  Vittorio  Corsoni  walked  by  his  side. 

"  I  would  dismount  and  walk  with  you  willingly  if  I 
were  not  so  burdened  and  hampered."  laughed  Albert. 

"  Burdened  with  beauty,  hampered  with  happiness," 
murmured  Vittorio  gallantly. 

But  at  the  last  words  of  his  colonel,  Mutchison  had 
jumped  oif  his  horse,  the  use  of  which  he  now  respectfully 
pressed  upon  the  Free  Sword. 

Vittorio  laughed  and  accepted  it,  saying  that  it  would 
enable  him  the  better  to  keep  up  with  his  companions. 

"  I  might  have  come  on  horseback  if  I  had  thought  of  it; 
but  the  distance  was  so  short,  and  I  was  so  eager  to  relieve 
you  from  the  embarrassment  of  being  stopped  by  the  guard, 
that  it  never  occurred  to  me  to  get  into  the  the  saddle," 
said  the  Free  Sword,  as  he  rode  on  beside  his  brother-in- 
arms. 

Their  way  lay  again  through  the  forest,  until  they  came 
to  another  little  clearing,  with  another  hut  and  another 
guard,  at  which  the  Free  SAVord  gave  the  countersign,  and 
passed  with  his  party. 

Then  they  rode  slowly  on  through  the  bushes  while  the 
two  guerrilfa  leaders  conversed  in  a  low  tone  about  the 
plans  of  their  next  campaigns,  until  they  came  to  a  grass- 
grown  old  road,  on  the  other  side  of  which  was  a  low  stone 
wall  and  a  rusty  iron  gate  guarded  by  a  small  porter's 
lodge. 


154  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

Before  the  gate  paced  a  sentinel,  and  from  the  porter's 
lodge,  which  was  turned  into  a  guard  house,  gleamed  a  dim 
light. 

Corsoni  gave  the  countersign  and  passed  his  party  into 
an  area  that  seemed  once  to  have  been  the  ornamented 
grounds  of  some  magnificent  country  seat. 

A  fine  old  avenue  of  elm  trees  led  from  the  lodge  to  the 
distant  mansion,  from  the  upper  and  lower  windows  of 
which  gleamed  dim  lights. 

All  over  the  lawn,  among  dilapidated  arbors,  and  dried-up 
fish  ponds,  and  dead  flower  beds,  were  scattered  the  rude, 
hastily  constructed  huts  of  the  guerrillas. 

Here  and  there  groups  of  horses,  already  saddled  and 
bridled,  were  tied,  as  if  kept  for  use  at  an  instant's  warning. 

Passing  all  these,  Corsoni  led  his  party  up  to  the  man- 
sion, a  large,  two-story,  double-fronted,  white  stone  house, 
with  basement  and  attic,  and  with  a  porch  running  its 
whole  width  in  front,  supported  by  huge  stone  pillars.  A 
flight  of  stone  steps  led  up  to  this  porch,  and  to  the  double 
hall  doors. 

A  sentinel  paced  to  and  fro  before  the  house.- 

Corsoni  dismounted  and  called  a  guerrilla  to  take  his 
horse. 

Goldsborough  unbuckled  the  belt  that  held  Elfie  to  him, 
and  beckoned  Mutchison  to  come  and  lift  her  off. 

Elfie,  who  had  not  spoken  since  her  vain  appeal  to  Cor- 
soni, suffered  herself  to  be  removed  in  silence. 

Goldsborough  alighted  and  immediately  unbound  Elfie's 
hand,  saying  : 

"  I  beg  your  pardon  for  having  ordered  this,  my  darling, 
but  if  I  had  not  done  so,  I  should  have  lost  my  scalp  and 
my  ears." 

The  first  use  Elfie  made  of  her  freed  hands  was  to  dash 
her  fists,  one  after  the  other,  into  Goklsborough's  face. 

He  laughed  and  dodged  the  blows,  and  then  took  one  of 
Elfie's  hands  to  draw  in  his  arm  and  lead  her  on. 


THE     OUTLAWS     LOVE.  155 

But  the  enraged  girl  snatched  her  hand  away,  exclaim- 
ing: 

"  Go  on  !  I  will  follow,  since  I  must.  And  if  I  seem  to 
yield  now  to  circumstances,  it  is  only  as  the  tiger  crouches 
for  a  surer  spring  !  Albert  Goldsborough,  I  will  have  your 
life  for  this  ! " 

"The  devotion  of  my  whole  life,  Elfie,"  he  answered 
gravely. 

Corsoni  was  standing  at  the  foot  of  the  stone  steps  waiv- 
ing his  hands  for  them  to  come  on. 


CHAPTEE  XII. 
THE  OUTLAW'S  LOVE. 

I  know  not.  I  ask  not  if  guilt's  in  that  heart; 

But  I  know  that  I  love  thee,  whatever  thou  art.— MOOBE. 

THEY  followed  him  up  into  the  porch  and  through  the 
double  doors  to  a  broad,  unfurnished  central  hall,  where 
several  guerrillas  were  on  guard. 

Four  doors  on  the  right  hand  and  four  on  the  left  opened 
into  rooms  on  each  side  of  this  hall. 

Corsoni  led  the  way  to  the  third  door  on  the  right  hand, 
saying : 

"  My  dear  wife  is  in  there.  Had  we  not  better  consign 
Miss  Fielding  to  her  care  ?  " 

"  Thanks,  yes  !  My  fair  travelling  companion  has  been 
on  horseback,  riding  hard  and  exerting  herself  in  other 
violent  exercises  for  about  six  hours  ;  and  must  be  greatly 
in  need  of  aid  and  comfort  just  now,"  answered  Golds- 
borough. 

Corsoni  opened  the  door  and  holding  it  open,  bowed  and 
said : 


156  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

"Miss  Fielding,  my  dear  wife  is  in  there.  Will  you 
enter  ?  " 

But  before  Elfie  could  answer,  and  indeed  wh.le  Vittorio 
was  still  speaking,  Alberta  herself  came  out,  and  taking 
Elfie  in  her  arms,  kissed  her  on  both  cheeks,  saying  : 

"  Welcome  to  the  greenwood,  Elfie  !  "  and  drew  her  into 
the  room. 

It  was  a  spacious  apartment,  with  a  wide  fireplace.  Over 
the  fireplace  was  a  richly-carved  mantel-shelf.  In  the  wall 
above  there  was  an  old  fresco  painting.  A  wood  fire  burned 
on  the  hearth.  Each  side  the  chimney  were  tall  windows, 
reaching  from  floor  to  ceiling. 

Every  part  of  the  room  was  dilapidated,  and  not  by  the 
gentle  action  of  time  but  by  the-  merciless  desecration  of 
war.  The  beautiful  figures  in  the  carved  marble  mantel- 
piece were  chipped  and  broken  off.  The  fresco  painting 
was  scraped  until  its  subject  could  not  even  be  guessed  at. 

The  glass  in  the  windows  was  in  many  places  broken  and 
replaced  by  pasteboard.  The  gorgeous  historical  paper  that 
had  once  covered  the  walls  now  hung  in  strips. 

And  the  room  was  almost  entirely  unfurnished  ;  floor 
and  windows  were  bare  of  covering.  In  one  corner  stood  a 
rude,  temporary  bedstead,  the  work  of  some  guerrilla  car- 
penter ;  and  on  it  was  laid  a  mattress  and  pillows,  with  the 
redeeming  accessories  of  clean  sheets  and  blankets.  There 
was  a  rough  table,  supporting  a  tin  basin  and  a  stone 
pitcher  of  water  ;  with  a  clean  towel  laid  over  them.  One 
low  chair  and  two  or  three  rude  three-legged  stools  com- 
pleted the  "  conveniences  "  of  the  room. 

Alberta  led  Elfie  into  this  room,  took  the  pillows  off  her 
bed,  and  put  them  on  the  chair,  one  on  the  seat  and  the 
other  against  the  back,  and  made  Elfie  sit  down  and  rest 
her  bruised  and  tired  frame. 

"  Alberta,  had  you  any  hand  in  this  ?  "  said  Elfie,  bursting 
into  tears. 


THE    OUTLAW'S    LOVE.  157 

"  In  what,  dear  ?  "  inquired  the  guerrilla's  wife,  who  was 
now  stooping  over  the  fire,  bringing  the  brands  together 
with  her  naked  hands,  because  she  had  no  tongs. 

"With  this  outrageous  act  of  bringing  me  off?  " 

Alberta  made  the  fire  blaze  up  cheerfully,  and  then 
answered : 

"When  I  made  my  escape  from  Washington,  I  fell  in 
with  some  of  Albert's  men,  who  guided  me  to  their  colonel. 
I  found  that  he  had  been  instrumental  in  the  deliverance  of 
my  dear  Vittorio,  who  was  then  with  him.  When  Albert 
heard  where  I  had  been  and  whom  I  had  seen,  he  had  a 
thousand  questions  to  ask  about  you,  all  of  which  I  an- 
swered as  well  as  I  could.  Among  the  rest  I  told  him  that 
you  were  planning  a  picnic  to  the  Great  Falls.  That  was 
all  I  had  to  do  with  your  abduction,  Elfie." 

"  Was  that,  really,  all  ?  Did  you  not  encourage  him  in 
it?" 

"No !  At  the  time  I  spoke  of  the  proposed  picnic  I  had 
no  idea  that  he  would  dream  of  such  a  desperate  deed  as  to 
cross  the  river  and  seize  you,  as  it  were,  from  between  the 
very  teeth  of  the  Federal  forces  !  It  was  a  mad  act ;  but 
he  loves  you  madly,  Elfie !  "  said  the  guerrilla's  wife. 

She  then  passed  to  the  door  and  called  one  of  her 
husband's  men,  and  in  a  low  tone  gave  him  an  order,  and 
then  she  drew  a  stool  to  the  side  of  Elfie  and  sat  down, 
saying : 

"  I  am  the  only  woman  in  the  encampment,  and  I  have 
to  wait  upon  myself  or  be  waited  on  by  men.  I  generally 
prefer  the  former.  You  will  sup  and  sleep  alone  with  me 
to-night,  Elfie,  and  I  will  keep  you  with  me,  and  guard  you 
from  annoyance  until  a  chaplain  can  be  found  to  marry  you 
to  Albert,  and  give  him  the  legal  right  to  protect  you." 

"  Marry  me  to  that  guerrilla  !  Never !  Never  !  It  can- 
not be  done  legally  without  my  consent,  and  that  they  shall 
never  have  !  The  villain  threatened  to  find  a  minister  who 


158  HOW      HE     WON     H  J7  R . 

would  dispense  with  the  bride's  consent,  as  well  as  with  the 
marriage  license  and  the  wedding  ring  !  But  oh,  Alberta, 
you  will  not  permit  this  outrage  to  be  perpetrated  under 
your  roof !  You  are  a  lady,  or  you  were  one  once — at  least, 
the  daughter  of  a  gentleman.  You  will  protect  me  !  "  ex- 
claimed Elfie,  losing,  in  the  failure  of  her  physical  strength, 
half  her  courage. 

"  I  will  protect  you  so  far  as  I  am  able  to  do  so.  Be 
sure  of  that,  Elfie.  But  you  do  surprise  me  beyond 
measure,  Elfie.  I  thought  you  loved  Albert  Goldsborough," 
said  the  guerrilla's  wife  in  amazement. 

"  Love  that  horse-stealing,  house-firing  vagrant !  "  indig- 
nantly exclaimed  Elfie. 

Alberta  passed  coolly  over  these  injurious  epithets, 
which  were  certainly  as  applicable  to  Vittorio  Corsoni  as 
they  were  to  Albert  Goldsborough,  and  she  answered 
calmly : 

"  You  certainly  loved  him  once,  when  he  had  done  noth- 
ing to  distinguish  himself,  and  if  you  truly  loved  him  then, 
you  love  him  still,  for  true  love  knows  no  '  shadow  of  turn- 
ing."' 

"  He  whom  I  loved  then  was  a  gentleman,  or  I  thought 
him  such,  not  a  barn  burner,  not  a  hen-roost  robber !  "  an- 
swered Elfie,  contemptuously. 

Again  Alberta  ignored  the  degrading  terms  that  were 
applied  to  the  guerrilla  chief;  for  in  truth  nothing  on  earth 
had  power  to  move  her  impassive  nature,  unless  it  were 
something  nearly  concerning  Vittorio  Corsoni,  her  idolized 
lover-husband,  and  she  said  : 

"  Albert  Goldsborough  was  destined  by  his  parents  and 
by  mine  to  marry  me,  and  you  knew  it  from  the  first,  yet 
you  saw  him  and  loved  him,  and  won  his  love.  Not  that  I 
regretted  your  success.  I  was  very  glad  to  be  well  rid  of 
my  cousin,  for  I  was  fully  determined  to  marry  Vittorio 
Corsoni,  my  beloved.  But  you  took  him  away  from  me, 


THE    OUTLAW'S    LOVE.  159 

only,  it  seems,  to  cast  him  off  from  yourself.  In  truth,  I 
cannot  understand  such  inconstancy,"  she  gravely  added. 

"  Yon  cannot !  Do  you  suppose,  then,  that  my  love  can 
survive  esteem,  and  walk  hand  in  hand  with  contempt  ? " 
said  Elfie,  scornfully. 

"  No,  I  do  not.  Nor  has  Albert  Goldsborough  done  any- 
thing worthy  of  contempt,  but  everything  worthy  of  ad- 
miration." 

"  Pouncing  upon  me,  and  carrying  me  off  by  main  force 
against  my  will,  was  among  the  rest  of  his  admirable 
achievements,  I  suppose  you  think,"  sneered  Elfie. 

"  Yes,  for  it  was  a  brave  deed." 

"  Very  brave,  to  kidnap  a  weak  girl." 

"  Yes,  it  was,  for  he  seized  that  girl,  as  I  s'aid  before,  from 
between  the  teeth  of  the  enemy.  Elfie,  have  you  any  idea 
what  he  risked  when  he  crossed  the  river  for  your  sake?" 
gravely  inquired  Alberta. 

"  He  risked  the  halter,  I  suppose,  and  I  wish  to  goodness 
he  had  got  it,"  answered  Elfie,  bitterly. 

"  Yes,  he  did,  heartless  girl.  He  risked  capture  and  an 
ignominious  death  for  your  sake.  He  risked  all  knowingly 
and  willingly,  for  when,  for  love  of  you,  he  crossed  the 
Potomac,  he  knew  that  Scott's  Nine  Hundred — and  they 
are  your  guerrillas,  Elfie — were  on  the  north  side  of  the 
river  below  the  Monooacy,  and  that  Rosenthal's  cavalry 
were  on  the  same  side  above  the  Monocacy,  and  fhat  the 
scouts  of  one  or  the  other  force  would  be  sure  to  strike  his 
trail." 

"  Rosenthal's  cavalry!  "  echoed  Elfie,  passing  over  every- 
thing else  in  her  surprise  at  hearing  this  phrase. 

"Yes,  Rosenthal's  cavalry.  You  didn't  know  that 
Major  Rosenthal  is  in  command  of  the  regiment  in  which 
he  first  enlisted  as  a  private  soldier,  did  you  ?  " 

"Major  Rosenthal!     No." 

"  That  proves  how  much  earlier  and  more  accurate  our 
information  is  than  vours." 


160  HOW      H  F     WON      H  E  K  . 

"  Or  how  much  better  the  devil  is  served  than  the  Lord !  " 
muttered  Elfie. 

"  But  our  information  is  obtained  for  nothing  from  devoted 
friends,  who  risk  their  lives  to  keep  us  posted  as  to  the 
movements  of  the  enemy,  and  yours,  when  you  get  any,  is 
purchased  at  high  prices  from  mercenaries,  who  sleep  when 
they  should  watch,  and  invent  fictions  when  they  should 
chronicle  truths." 

"  But  Major  Rosenthal !  Did  you  say  Major  Rosen- 
thai  ?  "  pursued  Elfie,  still  harping  on  Justin. 

"  Yes.  He  was  promoted  to  a  majority  for  gallantry  in 
the  field." 

"  And  he  is  in  command  of  his  regiment  ?  " 

"  I  told  you  so." 

"  But  how  is  that  ?  " 

"  In  the  very  last  battle  in  which  his  regiment  was 
engaged  the  colonel  was  dangerously  wounded,  the  lieuten- 
ant colonel  was  taken  prisoner,  and  the  senior  major  killed  ; 
so  that  the  command  of  the  regiment  devolved  on  Major 
Rosenthal.  His  regiment  was  soon  after  ordered  to  W. 
And  he  is  now  crossing  the  valley.  Observe  how  early  and 
how  accurate  is  our  information.  Now  to  get  back  to  Albert 
Goldsborough.  With  Scott's  Nine  Hundred  in  Montgomery 
and  Rosenthal's  cavalry  in  Frederick,  your  lover,  when  he 
crossed  the  river  for  your  sake  rushed  recklessly  between  two 
fires." 

"  I  wish  to  Heaven  the  fires  had  closed  upon  him  and 
made  an  end  of  him  and  his  horse-thieves  then  and  there  !  " 
bitterly  exclaimed  Elfie. 

"  You  don't !  If  you  ever  loved  him,  you  love  him  still. 
If  you  ever  loved  him,  you  love  him  more  than  ever  for  the 
perils  he  has  braved  for  your  sake,"  said  Alberta,  posi- 
tively. 

"  I  tell  you—"  passionately  began  Elfie ;  but  she  was  in- 
terrupted by  a  low  rap  at  the  door. 


THE    OUTLAW'S    LOVE.  161 

«  Come  in,"  said  Alberta. 

And  the  door  opened  and  a  young  guerrilla  entered,  bring- 
ing in  one  hand  a  kettle  of  hot  water,  which  he  sat  down  on 
the  hearth  before  the  fire,  and  holding  in  the  other  hand  a 
paper  parcel. 

"  That  is  my  good  boy,"  said  Alberta,  as  she  stirred  the 
fire  to  make  it  burn  and  keep  the  kettle  hot — "  that  is  my 
good  boy  !  But,  Gill,  what  shall  we  do  for  tea  ?  Use  saffron 
root  again  ?  " 

"  No,  ma'am  !  See  here.  Captain  Mutchison  sent  you 
this  with  his  compliments,"  said  the  young  man  whom  Al- 
berta called  Gill,  handing  over  the  paper  parcel  that  he  had 
held  in  his  hand 

"  Tea  !  real  tea  !  "  said  Alberta,  holding  the  parcel  up  to 
her  face  and  gratefully  inhaling  its  fragrance.  "  Oh,  tell  the 
captain  I  am  ever  so  much  obliged  to  him.  Elfie,  child,  I 
have  not  had  a  cup  of  tea  since  I  took  one  with  Erminie  at 
the  parsonage.  But  I  am  very  glad  to  have  some  now,  for 
your  sake  as  well  as  mine." 

"  I  suspect  that  tea  is  a  part  of  the  spoils  of  our  picnic," 
replied  Elfie. 

"  Nothing  in  life  more  likely.  Now  do  you  know  that 
circumstance  actually  adds  piquancy  to  its  flavor ! "  ex- 
claimed Alberta,  as  she  went  to  an  .old  glass  cupboard  in  a 
corner  of  the  room  and  took  from  it  a  small  tin  tea  pot,  in 
which  she  poured  a  portion  of  the  tea,  and  afterwards  filled 
it  up  with  boiling  water  and  set  it  on  the  hearth  to  draw. 

Meanwhile  the  young  guerrilla,  who  had  left  the  room, 
returned,  bearing  a  small  rude  pine  table  and  a  coarse  crash 
table  cloth,  which  he  arranged  for  supper. 

Alberta  took  from  her  corner  cupboard  a  few  cracked  cups, 
saucers  and  plates,  and  set  them  upon  the  table,  while  her 
guerrilla  waiter  went  out  and  brought  in  a  loaf  of  bread,  a 
plate  of  broiled  chicken  and  a  paper  of  loaf  sugar. 

"  Gill,  my  boy,  you  are  the  prince  of  purveyors  ! "  said 
10 


162  HOW      HE     \VON     HEK. 

Alberta,  as  she  received  the  good  things  and  arranged  them 
to  her  liking. 

"All  these  with  the  compliments  of  Captain  Mutohison," 
said  Gill,  as  he  delivered  them  over. 

"  Of  course  !  spoils  of  our  picnic,"  exclaimed  Elfie. 

"  And  this,"  said  Gill,  who  had  again  flitted  out  empty- 
handed  and  now  flitted  in  with  a  canteen  of  fresh  milk, 
"  this  with  Abershaw's  compliments." 

"  Eich  new  milk  for  our  tea  !  This  is  indeed  a  luxury. 
Where  did  it  come  from,  Gill  ?  " 

"Abershaw  drove  in  a  herd  of  cows  this  evening," 
answered  the  boy. 

"  One  would  really  think  that  we  were  living  the  border 
life  of  Scotland  in  the  olden  time,  when  cow-stealing  was 
the  most  pdpular  profession  among  the  landed  gentry  and 
their  retainers,"  mused  Elfie. 

"  Never  mind.  Don't  quarrel  with  your  supper,  my  dear. 
When  you  have  led  a  guerrilla  life  as  long  as  I  have, 
you  will  learn  to  take  what  is  set  before  you  and  be 
thankful.  Gill !  is  that  thunder  ?  "  inquired  Alberta,  as 
a  low  muttering  sound  was  heard  in  the  air  outside. 

"Yes,  ma'am,  there  is  an  awful  black  cloud  rising.  The 
men  think  there  will  be  a  storm — a  great  storm." 

"  It  is  very  late  in  the  season  for  a  thunder-storm.  But 
then  it  has  been  so  unusally  warm.  Gill !  " 

"  Yes,  ma'am." 

"  Are  all  our  men  on  this  side  the  river  ?  " 

"  Yes,  ma'am." 

"  And  havg  all  Colonel  Goldsborough's  force  re-crossed?" 

"  All  ma'am." 

"  Then  I  am  glad  the  storm  is  coming  up !  The  river 
will  rise  and  the  fords  be  impassable,  and  so  pursuit  will  be 
cut  off,  even  if  the  enemy  should  be  so  mad  as  to  wish  to 
'  beard  the  lion  in  his  den.'  You  can  retire  now,  Gill." 

The  young  guerrilla  pulled  his  forelock  by  way  of  making 
a  bow,  and  then  left  the  room. 


THE    OUTLAW'S    LOVE.  163 

"  Come,  Elfie,  draw  up  your  chair,"  said  Alberta,  as  she 
set  the  tea-pot  on  the  table. 

"  I  would  like  to  wash  iny  hands  first,"  said  Elfie,  hold- 
ing up  her  fingers. 

"  Good — HEAVENS  ! "  exclaimed  Alberta,  in  real,  down- 
right consternation.  "  What  have  you  been  about,  Elfie  ? 
Who  have  you  been  butchering  ?  I  am  accustomed  to  the 
sight  of  blood,  but  I  never  saw  such  a  pair  of  hands  in  all 
my  life !  What  ever  have  you  been  doing  with  them  ?  " 

"  I  have  been  proving  how  well  I  love  Guerrilla  Golds- 
borough,  and  how  willing  I  was  to  be  carried  off  by  him. 
I  have  heard  that  it  is  considered  an  ignominy  for  a  man  to 
lose  his  ears,  and  I  knew  that  Guerrilla  Goldsborough 
deserved  such  ignominy ;  and  I  have  been  doing  my  best  to 
inflict  it  upon  him  ! "  replied  Elfie,  as  she  went  to  the  wash 
basin  which  Alberta  had  filled  with  water  for  her. 

"  You  do  not  mean  to  say  that  you  tried  to  tear  his  ears 
off  with  your  nails  ! "  exclaimed  Alberta,  in  amazement. 

"  If  he  has  got  any  ears  left  it  isn't  my  fault,"  replied 
Elfie,  defiantly,  as  she  wiped  her  hands  and  sat  down  to  the 
tea-table. 

"  Well,"  said  Alberta,  "  I  have  sometimes  had  to  look  on 
while  hamlets  were  burning  and  spies  hanging,  but  I  could 
not  have  done  anything  like  that." 

Notwithstanding  that  Elfie  had  been  seized  and  carried 
off  by  guerrillas,  and  ought  to  have  been  in  despair,  she 
was  not.  On  the  contrary,  she  was  hungry ;  and  so  she 
made  a  very  good  supper,  and  with  very  little  asistance  from 
Alberta,  she  cleared  the  table  of  everything  eatable  on  it. 

Meanwhile  outside  the  thunder  rolled,  the  lightning 
flashed,  and  the  rain  poured. 

It  was  not  a  storm  to  alarm  any  one  who  was  not  exposed 
to  its  fury;  for  at  that  season  of  the  year  thunder  and 
lightning  could  not  be  very  violent  or  dangerous.  But 
the  rain !  Surely,  since  the  deluge  never  had  rain  fallen  in 
such  torrents. 


164  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

"  The  fords  will  be  impassable  for  a  week,"  said  Alberta, 
exultingly,  as  she  went  to  the  window  and  looked  out  and 
listened  to  the  pouring,  dashing,  lashing  rain. 

Elfie  sighed  deeply,  thinking  that  the  rise  in  the  river 
would  make  rescue  for  her  all  the  more  unlikely. 

Alberta  went  to  the  door  of  her  room  and  called  Gill, 
who  seemed  to  be  on  duty  in  the  hall  outside. 

"  Take  away  this  service,  Gill,"  she  said. 

And  the  youth,  to  make  short  work,  stretched  the  door 
wide  open  and  lifted  the  table,  with  all  upon  it,  and  carried 
it  bodily  out  of  the  room. 

Alberta  and  Elfie  drew  in  their  chairs  to  the  fire. 

"You  do  not  know,  Elfie,  what  a  respite  from  anxiety  it 
is  to  me  to  be  sure  of  one  night's  undisturbed  rest !  This 
storm  that  is  raging  outside  will  lull  me  to  repose  as  the 
sweetest  music  in  the  world  would  fail  to  do,"  said  Alberta, 
with  a  sigh  of  intense  relief. 

"  But  how  and  why  ?  "  inquired  Elfie. 

"  Oh,  because  I  know  while  the  storm  is  raging  and  the 
rain  is  pouring  the  river  is  also  rising,  and  the  fords  will  be 
impassable,  and  our  camp  will  be  safe  from  attack  for  one 
night,  and  we  may  sleep  in  peace  !  Oh,  Elfie  !  unless  you 
had  lived  as  I  have  lived  for  the  last  three  years,  in  the 
midst  of  '  war's  alarms,'  you  could  never  realize  what  a 
blessed  relief  there  is  in  the  feeling  sure  that  we  may  sleep 
in  peace  for  one  night ! " 

"  Oh  !  Alberta,  what  a  life  for  you — for  you,  a  daughter 
of  the  house  of  Goldsborough — reared  in  luxury  and  refine- 
ment !  How  can  you  bear  it  ?  Why  do  you  bear  it  ? 
Why  do  you  not  accept  Erminie's  offer,  and  seek  refuge 
with  her  ?  "  earnestly  inquired  Elfie. 

"Why?  Do  you  ask  me  why?"  exclaimed  Alberta, 
and  her  cold  eyes,  fixed  upon  the  fire  before  her,  dilated 
and  burned,  and  her  impassive  face  glowed  as  she  replied: 

*  My  lot  is  cast  with  his  and  with  his  cause  ! " 


THE    OUTLAW'S    LOVE.  165 

"  Oh,  Alberta !  when  you  were  in  Washington,  you  told  us 
that  you  had  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance,  in  good  faith, 
and  that  you  meant  to  keep  it!  And  here  I  find  you 
among  the  guerrillas  again  !  sympathizing  with  them,  aid- 
ing and  comforting  them  in  every  way !  Have  you  no 
respect  for  your  oath,  no  regard  for  yourself,  no  fear  even  of 
your  God  ?  "  inquired  Elfie. 

A  strange  smile  passed  over  the  face  of  the  guerrilla's 
wife ;  still  gazing  straight  before  her  into  the  fire,  she  an- 
swered, slowly : 

"  I  have  one  idol,  one  religion,  one  rule  of  action ! 
Elfrida,  nearly  four  years  have  passed  since  I  left  all,  to 
share  the  fortunes  of  Vittorio  Corsoni,  my  beloved !  Dark 
enough  those  fortunes  have  been,  Heaven  knows  !  But  I 
have  never  repented  becoming  his  wife — never,  Elfie ! 
Neither  of  us  have  known  a  shadow  of  turning  in  our  at- 
tachment to  each  other.  And  now  I  would  not  exchange  my 
condition  as  the  outlaw's  wife  to  be  the  most  honored  lady 
in  the  land  !  Nor  would  he  part  with  me  for  a  kingdom  ! 
We  are  all  in  all  to  each  other.  He  is  more  to  me  than 
ever  lover  or  husband  was  to  woman  before  !  I  am  more  to 
him  than  ever  was  sweetheart  or  wife  to  man  !  We  are 
one ;  we  can  never  be  divided.  Nothing — no,  nothing  shall 
ever  part  us  !  not  life,  not  death,  not  eternity !  In  all  the 
gloom  and  horror  of  our  downward  course — and  downward 
it  is,  Elfie — downward  even  to  the  depths  of  hell ! — we 
have  the  one,  great,  deep  joy  of  knowing  that  we  go  on 
together,  inseparable  forever !  Yes,  on  earth  or  in  hades, 
inseparable  forever!  I  will  never  again  leave  him,  or  be 
left  by  him,  for  a  single  day.  On  the  only  one  occasion 
when  we  parted  since  our  marriage,  he  was  captured,  tried 
and  condemned  to  die.  I  found  my  way  to  Washington, 
determined  to  deliver  him  or  to  die  with  him.  Yes,  if  I 
could  not  procure  his  release,  I  was  determined  to  do  that 
which  should  place  me  by  his  side  in  the  prison,  or  send  me 
swiftly  after  him  to  the  scaffold ! " 


166  HOW      HE      WON     HEB. 

"  Oh,  Alberta  !  you  mako  my  blood  run  cold ! "  exclaimed 
Elfie. 

"In  such  a  pursuit,  what  were  oaths  to  me  ?  I  had  one 
i<Jol — my  Vittorio !  one  religion — his  service  !  one  rule  of 
action — his  welfare  !  Happily  his  release  was  effected  by  a 
stronger  arm  and  a  shrewder  wit  than  mine.  And  he  is 
with  me  once  more,  and  henceforth  we  part  no  more. 
Where  he  stays,  I  will  stay ;  where  he  goes,  I  will  go. 
What  he  dares  that  will  I  dare.  The  pains  and  privations 
he  suffers  I  will  share,  and  when  he  ceases  to  live  I  will 
die ! " 

Alberta  ceased  to  speak,  but  continued,  with  her  hands 
clasped  upon  her  knees,  to  gaze  into  the  fire. 

Elfie  did  not  answer  these  wild  words;  she  remained 
silent — struck  dumb,  as  it  seemed,  with  astonishment  at  the 
vehement  earnestness  of  self-devotion  in  one  she  had 
deemed  so  cold  and  calm.  What  could  have  inspired 
Alberta  with  this  self-sacrificing,  soul  sacrificing  passion  ? 
Was  it  the  beauty,  fire  and  enthusiasm  of  the  young  Italian, 
who  had  so  successfully  wooed  her?  Certainly  Vittorio 
Corsoni,  if  not  as  handsome  as  a  grand  Apollo,  was  as 
beautiful  as  a  lithe  Adonis.  But  then  he  was  so  very  dark ; 
and  how  any  woman  could  really  and  desperately  love  such 
a  slight  Adonis,  with  such  dark  hair  and  eyes,  Elfie  could 
not  imagine  !  How  could  she,  when  she  herself  was  but  a 
little  bit  of  a  creature,  with  hair  and  eyes  as  dark  as  Vittorio's 
own,  and  when  her  ideal  of  '  a  fine  figure  of  a  man  '  was  a 
tall,  fair-haired  Apollo? 

While  Elfie  sat  gazing  into  the  fire,  and  musing  over 
these  mysteries,  there  came  a  soft  tap  at  the  door. 

Alberta  sprang  up  eagerly  and  went  to  open  it.  The 
voice  of  Vittorio  Corsoni  was  heard  to  say  : 

"  It  is  late,  love.     It  is  nearly  two  o'clock." 

"  I  know  it  is,"  murmured  Alberta. 

"  How  will  you  dispose  of  your  guest  ?  " 


THE    OUTLAW'S    LOVE.  167 

"  She  must  sleep  with  me,  Vittorio,  dearest.  She  is  but 
an  inexperienced  girl ;  and  there  is  no  place  in  this  house, 
full  of  rough  soldiers,  where  she  can  sleep  in  peace  except 
with  me,  the  only  woman  in  the  camp,"  said  Alberta. 

A  deep  sigh  from  Corsoni  followed  these  words,  and  then 
he  murmured  in  a  lower  tone  : 

"  I  had  just  been  congratiilating  myself  that  we  should 
all  rest,  without  thinking  of  an  attack  to-night !  But,  as 
Heaven  hears  me,  I  would  rather  sit  with  you,  and  watch 
all  night  in  the  hourly  expectation  of  an  assault  and  a 
battle,  than  be  banished  from  you,  though  we  pass  the  night 
in  peace ! " 

Alberta  replied  in  a  low  and  tender  murmur,  inaudible  to 
all  but  the  ears  for  whom  it  was  intended. 

A  whispered  conference  ensued,  and  then  Corsini  said  : 

"Well,  love,  I  shall  lie  on  the  floor  outside  your  door  to- 
night, and  like  a  faithful  dog  will  guard  your  slumbers." 

"  It  is  only  for  a  few  hours,"  she  said. 

And  then  followed  a  few  more  gentle,  inaudible  murmurs, 
and  Colonel  Corsoni  left  the  door.  And  Alberta  closed  and 
fastened  it,  and  returned  to  her  friend. 

"  It  is  late,  Elfie  !  And  you  must  be  excessively  tired 
after  your  long  ride.  Get  ready  for  bed,  child  !  You  shall 
be  quite  safe  with  me,"  said  the  guerrilla's  wife,  beginning 
to  put  the  chunks  of  fire  together  to  keep  them  burning 
through  the  night. 

Elfie  took  her  little  watch  from  its  hiding-place  and 
looked  at  the  time.  It  was  nearly  three  o'clock.  And 
feeling  really  almost  worn  out  with  fatigue,  she  undressed 
herself  and  went  to  bed,  and  fell  fast  asleep  even  before 
Alberta  laid  down  beside  her. 

Meanwhile,  without  the  storm  raged,  the  wind  howled 
and  shrieked,  the  rain  poured  and  dashed ;  and  the  roaring 
of  the  rising  waters  was  heard  above  it  all ! 

And  to  the  battle-worn  guerrillas,  sweeter  than  the  music 


168  HOW      HE     WON      HER- 

of  the  spheres,  sounded  this  warring  of  the  elements,  for  it 
assured  them  of  one  night's  safety. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE   ALARM. 

What's  the  business 

That  such  a  hideous  trumpet  calls  to  parley 
The  dwellers  in  the  house?— SHAKSPEARE. 
The  foe !— they  come  !  they  come !— BTBOU. 

ELFIE  slept  long  and  deeply.  In  the  wild  guerrilla 
camp  something  like  military  discipline  was  kept  up,  and 
at  four  o'clock  the  reveille  was  beat ;  hut  even  the  sound  of 
the  rolling  drum  close  under  her  windows  failed  to  arouse 
this  tired  young  sleeper. 

Alberta  arose,  pale,  weary  and  shivering,  in  the  chilly 
dawn  of  the  autumn  morning. 

She  opened  one  of  the  windows,  letting  in  the  faint  light 
of  day,  and  the  weight  of  a  heavy  dampness. 

The  storm  had  passed,  the  sky  was  clear,  and  the  air  was 
still ;  but  the  ground  was  strewn  thickly  with  fallen  leaves, 
the  trees  were  bared  and  broken,  and  the  rain  drops  hung 
glittering  upon  all. 

Through  the  obscurity  she  could  see  the  huts  of  the  men 
with  their  dim  fires  hastily  kindled  to  cook  their  break- 
fasts. 

After  fastening  back  the  shutters,  she  let  down  the  win- 
dow and  turned  to  set  the  room  in  order.  She  drew  the 
chunks  of  fire  together  and  put  on  more  wood  from  a  pile 
that  lay  handy  in  the  chimney  corner.  Then  she  fillwd  a 
kettle  from  a  pail  of  water  in  the  cupboard,  and  hung  it 
over  the  blazing  fire. 

While  thus  employed  she  heard  a  low  rapping  at  her 
door,  and  she  went  to  see  who  was  there. 


THE     ALARM.  169 

It  was  her  husband ;  and  he  met  her  as  if  he  had  been 
parted  from  her  for  a  year. 

"  May  I  come  in  ?"  at  length  he  said. 

"No,  dear  Vittorio,  for  our  visitor  still  sleeps.  When 
she  is  up  and  is  dressed,  then  you  may,"  she  answered. 

"  Heaven  knows  I  bear  our  fair  guest  no  malice ;  yet  I 
wish  Satan  had  her  rather  than  she  should  be  here  dividing 
us  whom  nothing  else  has  ever  parted/'  complained 
Corsoni. 

"  So  does  she,  I  think ! "  replied  Alberta,  with  a  shrug. 

"  I  am  going  now.     What  can  I  do  for  you  ?  " 

«  Send  Gill  for  orders." 

Vittorio  kissed  her  suddenly  and  hurried  away. 

Alberta  went  on  with  her  preparations  for  breakfast. 
She  cut  slices  from  a  stale  loaf  of  bread  and  set  them  down 
before  the  fire  to  toast.  And  then  she  sat  down  to  wait  for 
two  events — the  appearance  of  Gill  and  the  awakening  of 
Elfie.  She  had  to  wait  some  time  before  either  event 
occurred. 

Then  came  another  rap  at  the  door.  She  got  up  and 
opened  it,  inquiring : 

"  Is  it  you,  Gill  ?  " 

"  No,  Madam,  it  is  Haddycraff,"  answered  a  voice. 

"  Haddycraff!     Why,  where  is  Gill  ?  "  inquired  Alberta. 

"  Can't  be  found,  Madam,  anywhere  in  the  camp.  Seems 
he  hasn't  been  seen  since  the  height  of  the  storm  last  night. 
The  men  think  he  has  deserted,  and  that  he  is  no  better 
than  a  Yankee  spy  ! " 

"  Is  that  possible  ?  "  exclaimed  the  guerrilla's  wife,  in 
amazement. 

"  It  is  certain  that  he  has  gone,  madam,  and  it  is  likely 
he  was  a  spy !  " 

"  That  boy — that  mere  child !  Why,  he  didn't  look  to  be 
more  than  sixteen  years  old  !  " 

"Madam,  some  of  the  men  say  now  that  they  don't 
believe  he  was  a  boy  at  all,  but  a  woman  in  disguise." 


170  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

"  Nonsense !  What  absurd  notions  they  take  in  their 
heads." 

"  It  is  only  some  of  them,  ma'am.  There  are  others  that 
think  he  is  one  of  Rosenthal's  men.  Now  that  his  disap. 
pearance  has  set  people  to  thinking  and  talking,  there  is  one 
says  he  is  the  image  of  an  orderly  he  saw  with  Major  Eosen- 
thal." 

"  Yes ;  doubtless  every  one  of  you  will  have  a  reminis- 
cence, or  a  suspicion,  or  an  inspiration  regarding  the  poor 
lad  !  What  does  your  colonel  say  ?  " 

"  He  says  nothing  ;  he  acts.  He  has  sent  out  men  in 
pursuit  of  the  boy,  with  orders  to  bring  him  back,  dead  or 
alive  ! " 

"  Oh,  Heavens  !  when  will  these  horrors  cease  !  "  groaned 
Alberta,  wringing  her  hands. 

"  The  colonel  sent  me  here  to  take  my  orders  from  you, 
madam,"  said  the  man,  suggestively. 

"  Yes,  yes,  yes,"  answered  Alberta,  absently,  passing  her 
hand  to  and  fro  over  her  forehead. 

"  Can't  I  do  anything  for  you,  madam  ?  "  inquired  Had- 
dycraif,  after  a  few  minutes  of  silence  and  inactivity. 

"  Yes ! Oh,  I  am  so  sorry  to  hear  what  you  told  me 

about  that  poor  boy Yes,  I  want  something  additional 

prepared  for  our  guest's  breakfast. — I  do  not  believe  that  he 

is  a  spy  ! Anything  will  do.  Dress  a  chicken,  or  a 

partridge,  or  anything  you  may  have  handy,  and  bring  it  in. 

He  was  weary  of  the  hardships  of  his  life,  and  wanted 

to  go  home.  Deserter  he  may  be,  but  spy  never  !  What  do 
you  think,  Haddycraff?" 

"  I  think,  ma'am,  as  he  has  only  been  with  us  five  days 
he  hasn't  had  time  to  get  tired  of  us  ;  and  we  can  none  of 
us  account  for  his  sudden  disappearance  upon  any  other 
ground  than  that  of  his  having  been  a  spy.  However,  if 
the  boys  find  him  and  bring  him  in  alive,  we  shall  get  to  the 
bottom  of  the  mystery ;  for  you  know  how  the  colonel  can 
sift  a  spy  first  and  hang  him  afterwards." 


THE     ALARM.  171 

"  Heaven  of  Heavens,  yes  ! " 

"  Anything  else,  ma'am,  if  you  please  ?  " 

"  Yes Poor  boy !  can  it  be  possible  ? — You  may 

bring  me  a  table  and  a  clean  table  cloth.  Bring  them  to 
the  door  and  rap.  I  will  take  them  in." 

"  That  is  all,  ma'am  ?  " 

"  Yes— go." 

The  man  left  the  door,  but  the  guerrilla's  wife  stood  like 
one  in  a  maze. 

"  Poor,  poor  lad,"  she  murmured.  "  He  will  have  not  the 
slightest  chance  of  escape.  They  will  hunt  him  with  that 
pair  of  Siberian  bloodhounds,  I  suppose.  Yet  if  he  is  a 
spy,  I  shall  rejoice  at  his  being  taken ;  for  if  it  were  possi- 
ble for  him  to  escape,  he  might — yes,  he  might  betray 
Corsoni  to  death.  Yes,  I  shall  rejoice  when  he  is  taken  ! 
Yet  I  will  plead  for  his  life  as  I  never  pleaded  for  a  life  be- 
fore !  " 

She  was  interrupted  by  the  arrival  of  the  table  at  the 
door,  and  she  went  and  took  it  in,  laid  the  cloth,  and 
arranged  the  camp  breakfast  service  on  it. 

In  the  midst  of  her  work  she  was  disturbed  by  a 
slight  noise  behind  her.  Turning  round,  she  saw  Elfie 
sitting  up  in  bed,  with  her  hands  clasping  her  temples, 
her  black  hair  flying  loose,  and  her  eyes  -staring  around 
in  bewilderment. 

Alberta  put  down  the  knives  and  forks  that  were  in 
her  hand,  and  went  to  the  side  of  her  guest. 

"  You  slept  well,  Elfie.  You  never  even  stirred  during 
the  night.  I  hope  you  feel  better  this  morning,"  said  Al- 
berta. 

"  Yes ;  I  slept  so  soundly  that  when  I  opened  my  eyes  I 
couldn't  remember  what  had  happened  to  me,  or  where  I  was. 
It  seemed  to  me  that  I  was  still  dreaming,  or  that  I  had 
been  transferred  here  by  magic.  Ah,  the  villain  !  Won't 
I  make  him  pay  for  it !  " 


172  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

"  Of  whom  do  you  speak,  Elfie  ?  " 

"  Guerrilla  Goldsborough,  the  girl-stealer.  I  will  make 
him  wish  that  he  himself  had  been  carried  off  by  Satan, 
rather  than  carried  off  me  !  " 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you  in  such  good  spirits,  Elfie." 

"  Yes,  last  night  I  was  jaded  to  death  with  fatigue.  After 
the  good  night's  rest  I  feel  revived.  The  new  day  has 
brought  new  strength  and  resolution.  And  before  it  is 
over,  I  shall  have  persuaded  Colonel  Corsoni  to  send  me 
across  the  lines." 

"My  poor  girl,  I  hope  you  may  succeed  in  doing  so, 
said  Alberta,  gravely. 

"  I  know  I  shall.  For  whatever  else  the  Free  Sword 
may  be,  he  is  a  gentleman.  And  none  but  a  caitiff  would 
keep  a  girl  a  prisoner  against  her  will  to  please  anybody," 
said  Elfie,  confidently. 

"  I  do  think,  if  my  dear  Yittorio  suspected  that  you 
are  really  and  truly  here  against  your  will,  he  would  do 
everything  in  his  power  to  restore  you  to  your  friends. 
But  you  see,  Elfie,  he  knew  of  the  attachment  existing  be- 
tween you  and  Albert,  and  he  cannot  understand  your  re- 
luctance to  remain  with  him.  He  judges  all  women  by  his 
own  wife,  who  left  all  to  follow  him  and  share  his  fate." 

"  Then  he  shall  understand  me.  He  shall  know  that  I 
am  loyal  and  free.  He  shall^  judge  me  by  myself  alone. 
And  when  he  does  this,  as  a  gentleman  and  a  soldier,  he 
will  restore  me  to  my  friends,"  said  Elfie,  positively. 

"  In  what  manner  ?  " 

"  He  can  send  me  under  a  flag  of  truce  to  the  nearest 
Federal  fort." 

"  Ah,  dear  Elfie,  would  the  flag  of  truce  from  a  guerrilla 
chief  be  respected  by  your  Federal  officers  ?  Would  that 
of  Corsoni — of  all  others,  of  Corsoni — an  outlaw  with  a 
price  on  his  head  ?  What  are  you  thinking  of,  my  poor 
child  ?  "  said  Alberta. 


THE     ALARM.  173 

"  I  am  sorry  Vittorio  is  outlawed.  Sorrier  still  that  he 
ever  did  anything  to  place  himself  in  such  a  dreadful  posi- 
tion. But  let  whoever  may  be  outlawed  or  inlawed,  I  am 
resolved  to  be  in  the  Federal  lines  before  night,"  said  Elfie, 
throwing  the  cover  off  her,  preparatory,  to  rising. 

As  she  did  so,  she  noticed  the  large  printed  U.  S.  on  the 
head  of  the  blanket.  While  she  was  staring  at  it,  Alberta 
laughed  and  said : 

"  Yes,  that  is  a  Yankee  blanket.  Why,  my  child,  the 
Yankee  manufacturers  work  for  us  now,  just  as  they  did 
before  the  war,  only  now  we  don't  pay  them  for  it.  Why, 
Elfie,  if  it  were  not  for  dashing  and  successful  raids  upon 
Yankee  encampments,  our  soldiers  would  go  into  battle  as 
bare-backed  as  the  Bersekers  of  old." 

Elfie  stepped  down  upon  the  floor  and  began  to  make 
her  toilet,  while  Alberta  carefully  spread  up  the  bed  and 
opened  the  window  behind  it. 

"  It  is  not  what  either  of  us  were  brought  up  to,  Elfie,  this 
breakfasting  in  our  bedroom ;  but  I  have  endured  much 
greater  hardships  than  this." 

Elfie  shrugged  her  shoulders  in  silence,  and  went  on 
dressing. 

And  by  the  time  she  was  ready  for  breakfast,  breakfast 
was  ready  for  her. 

Haddycraff  came  to  the  door  and  rapped,  and  Alberta  went 
and  received  from  him  a  large  dish  of  fried  chicken  and  a 
pitcher  of  milk,  which  was  all  that  was  wanted  to  complete 
the  preparations  for  the  morning  meal. 

Alberta  set  them  on  the  table  and  then  put  up  the  teapot 
and  the  plate  of  toast. 

"  We  have  no  butter  to-day,  Elfie,  but  Abershaw  has  got 
a  dairyman,  and  with  all  these  cows,  I  dare  say  we  shall 
have  some  for  to-morrow, "  said  Alberta. 

"  To-morrow.  I  hope  a  great  many  things  will  happen 
before  to-morrow,"  said  Elfie. 


174  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

And  they  both  sat  down  to  the  table. 

Alberta  poured  out  a  cup  of  tea,  and  set  it  before  her  guest 
and  said : 

"  Try  some  of  that  fried  chicken,  Elfie.  Haddycraff  is  a 
very  good  cook." 

"  And  I  suppose  some  Union  farmer's  hen-roost  has  been 
robbed  to  supply  his  larder,"  replied  Elfie  rather  ungrate- 
fuly,  as  she  stuck  her  broken  fork  into  the  crisply  fried 
breast  of  chicken,  and  transferred  it  to  her  cracked  plate. 

"  Of  course ;  how  else  should  we  be  fed  ? "  laughed 
Alberta. 

Elfie  had  a  healthy  young  appetite,  and  notwithstanding 
her  captivity  and  her  conscience,  she  made  a  hearty  meal. 

Not  so  did  Alberta.  Every  movement  and  expression  of 
this  unhappy  woman  betrayed  the  anxious  and  habitual 
vigilance  of  the  fighting  and  flying  guerrilla  life.  Forget- 
ting her  companion,  she  would  turn  her  head  and  stare 
through  the  open  window,  straining  her  eyes  to  see  what 
might  be  going  on  at  a  distant  point  of  the  encampment 
in  the  line  of  her  vision,  or  else  holding  her  cup  of  tea  sus- 
pended between  her  saucer  and  her  lips,  while  she  listened 
to  the  sounds  outside  the  house. 

"  For  goodness  sake,  Alberta,  make  a  breakfast.  You 
have  scarcely  eaten  a  morsel  of  food  or  drank  a  drop  of  tea. 
What  ails  you  ?  What  are  you  watching  and  listening  for? 
You  cannot  fear  an  attack  from  the  Union  troops  this  morn- 
ing. You  said  yourself  the  river  would  be  too  high  for 
days  to  admit  of  their  crossing,"  said  Elfie,  impatiently. 

"  It  is  not  of  them  I  am  thinking,"  answered  Alberta, 
making  an  effort  to  sip  her  tea. 

"  Of  what  then  ?  I  declare  you  look  like  a  fugitive  from 
justice  fearing  an  arrest.  Something  ails  you." 

"  Something  always  does.  Elfie,  did  you  notice  the  boy 
that  waited  on  us  at  supper  last  night  ?  " 

"  I   saw  a  boy,  bringing  in  kettles    and   things,  and   I 


THE     ALARM.  175 

heard  you  call  him  Grill,  or  something.  I  never  noticed  him 
particularly.  Why  should  I,  little  cocatrice  of  a  brigand ! " 
snapped  Elfie. 

"  He  was  very  well  worth  looking  at.  A  pretty  boy, 
about  sixteen  years  of  age,  with  the  blackest  hair  and 
rosiest  cheeks  I  ever  saw  in  a  lad.  He  sought  refuge  with 
the  Free  Sword  about  a  week  ago.  He  told  a  sad  tale — oh, 
it  was  a  very  common  one  — of  how  his  home  had  been 
sacked  and  burned  and  his  father  and  brother  killed  and 
himself  taken  prisoner  by  the  Yankees  ;  and  how  at  last  he 
had  made  his  escape  and  reached  our- encampment." 

"  Young  scamp !  better  he  had  been  sent  to  join  his 
father  and  brother  than  lived  to  become  a  guerrilla." 

"  Upon  my  word,  Elfie,  you  are  not  very  polite  to  me — 
all  things  considered,"  said  Alberta. 

"  I  have  no  right  to  be — '  all  things  considered,'  "  retorted 
Elfie. 

"  I  do  the  best  I  can  for  you,  under  the  circumstances." 

"  And  I  behave  as  well  as  I  can,  '  under  the  circum- 
stances.' " 

"  Of  what  do  you  complain  ?  " 

"That  I  am  kept  here  against  my  will." 

"  Not  by  me.  But  let  us  return  to  our  mutton.  This 
boy,  Elfie.  Too  delicate  for  rough  military  work,  the 
colonel  placed  him  about  me  as  a  sort  of  page.  I  declare? 
in  five  days  the  gentle  boy  quite  won  my  hea-rt.  But 


— "  How  would  the  Free  Sword  like  the  idea  of  the 
pretty  page  winning  his  lady's  heart  ? "  jeered  Elfie, 
maliciously. 

"  Girl !  I  am  deeply  and  thoroughly  ashamed  of  you ! 
My  interest  in  the  lonely  boy  is  sisterly,  motherly — what 
you  will.  And  Colonel  Corsoni  knows  that  the  woman  who 
gladly  gave  up  earth  and  heaven  for  his  love,  is  his  own 
soul  and  body  for  time  and  eternity.  He  knows  that  I  am 


176  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

fond  of  the  boy ;  but  he  knows  also  that  I  would  cast  that 
boy  into  a  burning  fire  if  it  were  to  please  him — Corsoni ! " 

"  Well,  but  what  about  the  blessed  boy.  Is  it  he  that 
you  are  watching  and  listening  for?" 

"  Yes,  yes,  yes !  He  has  disappeared.  The  men  say 
that  he  was  a  spy.  Some  say  that  he  is  no  boy,  but  a  dis- 
guised girl.  Others  deny  that  and  pretend  to  recognize 
him,  now  that  it  is  too  late,  as  an  orderly  whom  they  had 
seen  in  attendance  upon  Major  Rosenthal." 

"  Whe-ew  ! "  exclaimed  Elfie  under  her  breath,  as  a  light 
broke  slowly  over  her  face. 

"Now  Colonel  Corsoni  has  sent  out  men  in  pursuit  of  the 
boy.  If  he  really  was  a  spy,  and  succeeds  in  effecting  his 
escape,  he  will  make  for  the  nearest  fort  in  the  lines  form- 
ing the  Southern  Defences  of  Washington,  which  are  on 
this  side  of  the  river,  you  know ;  and  he  will  betray  the 
retreat  of  the  Free  Sword  and  bring  the  enemy  upon  us 
probably  before  we  can  escape." 

"  Lord  grant  he  may ! "  muttered  Elfie  between  her 
teeth. 

"And  on  the  other  hand,  if  he  should  be  re-captured,  he 
will  certainly  be  doomed  to  death,  for  the  Free  Sword  never 
yet  spared  a  spy.  Every  way  I  look  the  prospect  is  full  of 
horror.  It  is  for  our  returning  scouts  with  their  prisoner 
that  I  listen  so  anxiously. 

"  You  say  that  Colonel  Corsoni  never  yet  spared  a  spy." 

"  Never." 

"  He  will  spare  this  one,"  said  Elfie,  positively. 

"  How  do  you  know  that  ?  "  demanded  Alberta  sharply. 

"  By  reasons." 

"  What  reasons  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  tell  you.  That  is,  I  do  not  feel  at  liberty  to 
do  so." 

"  HARK  !  " 

"  What  is  the  matter  ?  " 


THE     ALARM.  177 

"  They  are  coming  !  "  exclaimed  Alberta. 

And  at  this  moment  the  galloping  of  horses  was  heard, 
followed  by  the  sound  of  many  eager  voices  and  the  tramp- 
ling of  many  hasty  feet. 

The  next  instant  the  door  was  thrown  open  by  the  guer- 
rilla Mutchison,  who  stalked  into  the  room. 

The  two  young  women  started  up  in  alarm. 

"  What  is  the  matter  ?  "  demanded  Alberta. 

"  Madam  !  "  exclaimed  Mutchison,  speaking  in  haste  and 
trepidation,  "  the  boy  Gill  has  betrayed  us !  The  scouts 
who  went  out  in  search  of  him  have  returned  and  report  a 
body  of  the  enemy's  cavalry  near  !  " 

And  without  another  word  he  pounced  upon  Elfie,  lifted 
and  threw  her  over  his  shoulder  and  bore  her,  screaming 
and  struggling  from  the  room. 

Alberta  started  forward  to  stop  him,  but  before  she  had 
gone  two  paces  she  met  Colonel  Corsoni,  who  came  hurry- 
ing towards  her. 

He  was  armed  and  equipped  for  his  ride,  and  he  carried  in 
his  hand  the  black  hat  and  feather  fastened  by  the  flaming 
carbuncle  button. 

"  Alberta,  dearest — quick !  Your  horse  is  ready  and 
waiting  beside  my  own !  "  he  exclaimed.  And  he  seized  up 
her  dark  hooded  cloak  and  with  his  own  hands  wrapped  it 
about  her  form,  i 

"  It  is  true  then  !     The  enemy  is  upon  us  ! "  she  cried. 

"  Two  companies  of  cavalary  armed  with  their  accursed 
Henry  rifles !  sixteen-shooters,  that  they  may  load  up  on  a 
Sunday  and  fire  off  all  the  week!  What  can  my  ninety 
almost  unarmed  men  do  against  such  a  force  ?  " 

"  Oh  !  fly !  fly,  Vittorio  !  And  here  !  take  that  burning 
carbuncle  from  your  hat !  You  are  known  by  it.  And  its 
rays  shoot  so  far  in  the  sunlight." 

"  I  would  almost  as  willingly  be  captured  as  remove  the 
gem,  your  gift,  Alberta !  placed,  where  it  shines,  by  your 
hand ! " 

11 


178  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

"Then  my  hand  will  remove  it  again!"  said  Corsoni's 
wife,  hastily  unfastening  the  fiery  stone  and  concealing  it 
in  her  bosom. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE   FLIGHT. 
And  there  wan  mounting  in  hot  haste.— BYBON. 

THEN  Corsoni  seized  her  hand  and  drew  her  into  the 
yard,  where  the  men  already  mounted  awaited  their  chief. 

Corsoni  placed  his  wife  on  her  horse  and  then  mounted 
his  own. 

Alberta,  turning  around,  saw  Elfie  bound  hand  and  foot 
behind  Goldsborough,  who  was  firmly  seated  on  one  of  the 
most  powerful  roadsters  she  had  ever  seen. 

Elfie  could  no  longer  fight  or  struggle,  but  she  scolded 
and  remonstrated  as  vigorously  as  ever. 

"  Men — if  you  are  men  and  not  monsters — how  dare  you 
look  on  and  see  such  an  outrage  as  this  accomplished  ! " 
she  cried,  addressing  the  band  at  large. 

But  the  men  were  busy  with  their  curbs,  restraining 
restive  horses,  that  were  as  eager  to  fly  as  their  masters ; 
and  they  had  no  attention  to  bestow  on  Elfie. 

"  Colonel  Corsoni,  are  you  a  gentleman,  and  will  you  per- 
mit this  violence  to  be  done  me  ?  "  she  demanded  of  the 
Free  Sword. 

But  the  guerrilla  chief  was  marshaling  his  band,  and  did 
not  even  hear  her  words. 

"  Alberta,  Alberta,  why  do  you  not  interfere  ?  You 
promised  that  no  wrong  should  be  done  me  that  you  could 
prevent!"  she  screamed,  turning  her  head — the  only  part 
of  her  person  she  could  move — towards  Madame  Corsoni. 


THE     PLIGHT.  179 

"  Would  to  heaven  I  could  prevent  this,  Elfie  ! "  ex- 
claimed the  guerrilla's  wife.  Then  turning  to  her  cousin, 
she  said,  sharply  : 

"Albert  Goldsborough,  if  you  have  a  spark  of  manhood 
left,  release  the  girl  and  leave  her  here.  The  Federals  will 
find  he-r  when  they  come,  and  protect  her,  until  they  can 
send  her  to  her  friends." 

"Ha,  ha,  ha!  Quite  right,  Alberta,"  laughed  Colonel 
Goldsborough.  "  As  lady  and  chieftainess  you  could  not  say 
less.  Though,  of  course,  your  interference  was  a  mere  form  ; 
for  you  know  as  well  as  I  do  that  Elfie  would  not  thank  you 
for  hindering  me  ;  because  at  heart  she  is  just  as  willing  to 
be  carried  off  as  I  am  to  take  her." 

"  Oh,  you — you — you  unutterably,  contemptible  miscre- 
ant ! "  cried  Elfie,  at  a  loss  for  names  base  enough  to  bestow 
on  her  captor. 

But  at  that  instant  the  order  was  given  to  move  for- 
ward ;  and  Goldsborough  put  spurs  to  his  horse  and 
bounded  away. 

The  troop  started — very  much  as  a  company  of  fox 
hunters  start  when  the  fox  has  broken  cover — all  in 
wildest  haste  and  disorder,  the  first  object  being  to  get 
away  as  quickly  as  possible — the  great  difference  that  in 
this  case  the  party  were  the  hunted  instead  of  the 
hunters. 

They  galloped,  without  drawing  rein,  until  they  had 
put  miles  and  miles  between  themselves  and  their  late 
encampment. 

Then,  oa  the  edge  of  another  great  forest,  they  slackened 
pace  to  breathe  their  horses. 

When  all  the  troop — the  men  and  horses  covered  with 
dust  and  reeking  with  sweat — rode  up,  their  chief  lifted  his 
hand  and  spoke  to  them  ; 

"  ATTENTION!  Scatter  yourselves  through  the  forest,  and 
rendezvous  to-night  at  the  Black  Bear's  Pass,  where  we 
join  Colonel  Goldsborough's  force." 


180  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

Then  they  entered  the  forest  by  different  paths,  and 
scattered  themselves  according  to  order. 

Some  little  distance  into  the  forest  Colonel  Corsoni  and 
Alberta  rode  side  by  side. 

"  So  we  go  to  Goldsborough's  encampment,"  she  said. 

"Yes.  This  morning,  when  the  scouts  brought  in  the 
news  that  the  enemy's  cavalry,  informed  by  the  little  spy 
Gill,  was  after  us,  we  called  a  hasty  council  of  war — Golds- 
borough,  myself,  Mutchison,  and  Abershaw ;  when  it  was 
decided  that  we  should  consolidate  the  remnant  of  our 
bands,  at  the  Black  Bear's  Pass,  there  to  wait  for  Monck, 
who  is  expected  down  from  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  to  plan 
another  raid  into  Pennsylvania  or  Maryland.  Ah,  what  a 
hard  life  this  for  you,  my  tenderly  reared  love ! "  said  the 
guerrilla  chief,  suddenly  breaking  off  from  his  talk  of  rapine 
and  bloodshed,  to  gaze  with  ineffable  tenderness  upon  his 
companion. 

"My  Free  Sword,"  exclaimed  his  wife,  fondly  and 
proudly,  "it  is  the  life  of  my  heart's  choosing.  I  am 
happy — oh,  believe  me — I  am  always  happy  by  your  side  ! 
only  miserable  when  absent  from  you.  And  you  never 
wish  me  absent,  do  you,  Vittorio?" 

"  God  knows,  never ! "  exclaimed  the  Free  Sword,  fer- 
vently. "  I  am  such  an  egotist  as  to  want  you  always  with 
me,  cost  you  wThat  it  may." 

"  '  Such  an  egotist '  are  you,  in  making  me  so  happy  ? 
Listen,  my  chief — oh,  my  dearest,  listen :  I  am  orthodox 
and  I  believe  in  Heaven  and  in  hell.  But  I  will  have  no 
Heaven  that  you  do  not  share,  my  own  !  And  death  and 
hell  are  less  terrible  to  me  than  the  thought  of  parting  from 
you,"  she  murmured,  still  fondly  and  proudly,  as  she  had 
spoken  before. 

"  Then  by  the  splendor  of  Heaven  we  will  never  part 
again — no,  not  for  a  day ! " 

Their  hands  met  in  a  clasp  as  fervent  as  the  pledge  of  a 


THE      FLIGHT.  181 

first  betrothal,  and  then  they  rode  on  again  in  silence  for 
some  moments,  until  the  clatter  of  a  horse's  feet  was  heard 
behind  them,  and  Goldsborough  galloped  up,  with  Elfie  still 
bound  behind  him.  He  lifted  his  hat  gallantly  as  he 
passed  Madam  Corsoni. 

"  Oh,  Vittorio  !  "  exclaimed  Alberta,  as  the  horseman  and 
his  captive  sped  out  of  sight. 

"  What  is  it,  love  ?  "  inquired  Colonel  Corsoni. 

"  Elfie !  nothing  can  be  done  for  her  until  we  reach  our 
destination,  I  suppose.  But,  oh,  when  we  do,  pray  try  to 
effect  the  deliverance  of  Elfie.  It  is  shameful  in  Albert 
Goldsborough  to  carry  her  off  against  her  will." 

"  My  dearest,  do  you  suppose  for  a  moment  that  it  is 
really  against  her  will  ?  I  do  not,"  laughed  the  Free 
Sword. 

"  It  is  bitterly  against  her  will !  I  do  not  understand 
how  it  can  be  so ;  since  I  know  that  she  loved  him  once ! 
but  I  see  that  it  is !  "  said  his  wife,  earnestly. 

Colonel  Corsoni  gayly  shook  his  head. 

"  It  is,  indeed,  as  I  say  !  Strange  as  it  may  sound,  she 
seems  really  to  hate  the  lover  she  once  loved  so  fondly  ! " 

"  And  for  no  personal  offence  against  her  ?  For  a  mere 
difference  of  opinion  in  regard  to  this  war  ?  Impossible  ! 
Dearest,  you  should  know  that  no  woman  who  truly  loved, 
ever  discarded  her  lover  for  a  mere  difference  of  opinion  in 
religion  or  politics  !  And  that  Elfie  truly  loved  Albert,  and 
even  sought  to  win  his  love,  I  had  an  opportunity  of  prov- 
ing !  Oh,  I  watched  them  with  too  much  interest  in  the 
play  to  be  mistaken !  I  was  too  anxious  that  the  little 
black-eyed  witch  should  win  him,  and  so  remove  a  trouble- 
some suitor  to  yourself  and  a  hateful  rival  from  my  path  ; 
not  to  have  discovered  the  truth  !  " 

"  Oh  yes,  I  know  that  she  did  once  love  him,  and  seek  to 
win  and  succeed  in  winning  his  heart !  But  all  that  is  over 
now  !  " 


182  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

"  And  has  a  woman  the  right,  do  you  think,  to  win  a 
man's  heart  and  then  throw  it  away  ?  " 

"  No,  certainly  ! " 

"  See  here,  dearest ;  she  not  only  loved  him  and  won  hia 
love ;  but  she  betrothed  herself  to  him.  And  he  at  least 
has  been  faithful  to  that  betrothal.  Listen,  my  own !  If 
Elfrida  were  not  the  promised  wife  of  Goldsborough,  I 
would  not  look  on  for  an  instant  and  permit  her  to  be  carried 
off  by  him;  or,  being  his  promised  wife,  if  her  feelings  had 
really  changed  towards  him,  I  would  not  interfere  to  deliver 
her  from  his  power.  But  neither  of  these  hypotheses  exist. 
At  heart  she  loves  him  still ;  loves  him  more  than  ever,  that 
he  has  proved  his  love,  by  daring  so  much  for  her  sake  ! 
But  Elfie  is  given  to  heroics — real  heroics  and  mock  heroics. 
She  has  embraced  the  cause  of  the  Union  !  It  is  her  cue 
to  hate  '  treason  '  and  to  love  'patriotism.'  And  left  to  her- 
self she  will  sacrifice  her  lover,  whom  she  adores,  for  her 
country  that  she  only  thinks  she  adores !  But  let  Golds- 
borough  succeed  in  carrying  her  off,  and  making  her  his 
wife,  by  force  if  you  like  to  call  it  so,  and  Elfie  will  be  as 
happy  as  a  queen  in  the  greenwood." 

"  But  only  see  how  she  resisted  her  abduction  !  See  how 
she  wounded  her  captor  in  her  struggles  to  escape  !  " 

"  All  done  to  deceive  herself,  as  well  as  her  lover,  into 
the  idea  that  she  hates  him  as  a  '  traitor '  ought  to  be  hated 
— according  to  her  creed  !  Ha,  ha,  ha  !  We  shall  have  a 
stormy  wedding  at  the  Black  Bear's  Pass  to-morrow ;  but 
in  a  day  or  two  the  storm  will  have  passed  and  all  will  be 
sunshine  ! "  laughed  Vittorio,  gayly. 

"But  how,  in  heaven's  name,  is  any  marriage  to  take 
place  without  the  woman's  consent  ?  •  Elfie  may  be  carried 
off  and  kept  prisoner  by  physical  force;  but  no  physical 
force  on  earth  can  make  her  the  wife  of  Albert  Golds- 
borough  ! " 

"  He  will  find  a  way  to  make  her  consent  to  marry  him, 


THE      FLIGHT.  183 

and  make  her  confess  that  she  loves  him,  too ! "  laughed 
Vittorio. 

"  Judging  from  what  I  had  seen,  I  should  think  she 
would  tear  him  to  pieces  first !  " 

"  She  can't  i  He's  tough  !  She'll  tear  him  frightfully, 
no  doubt !  But  he  will  stand  a  great  deal  of  tearing  from 
those  pretty  hands,  with  the  certainty  that  it  will  all  end  in 
their  caressing  him.  But  this  path  is  becoming  very  narrow 
and  obstructed.  Let  me  go  before,  dearest,  and  put  aside 
the  branches  for  you,"  said  Colonel  Corsoni,  taking  the 
lead. 

So  they  journeyed  on  until  sometime  in  the  afternoon, 
when  once  more  they  encountered  Goldsborough  and  Elfie. 
He  was  pausing  at  a  forest  rivulet  to  let  his  horse  drink. 

"  We  need  something  to  drink  as  well  as  our  beasts. 
What  do  you  think,  Colonel  ?  "  inquired  Goldsborough. 

In  reply  Corsoni  handed  the  speaker  a  flask  of  brandy, 
from  which  Goldsborough  took  a  deep  draught. 

"  That  is  a  genuine  article,  Colonel,  where  ever  you  got  it 
from,"  he  said,  handing  back  the  flask  to  its  owner. 

"  A  present  from  Mutchison,"  said  Corsoni. 

"  Oh  !  spoils  from  the  picnic — -just  so  !  "  answered  Albert. 
Then  turning  to  his  companion,  he  said — "  Mrs.  Golds- 
borough,  I  am  aware  that  you  never  touch  anything 
stronger  than  tea  or  lemonade.  Unfortunately  we  have 
neither  to  ofter  you.  However,  the  clearest  of  springs 
sparkles  below  us,  and  if  you  would  like  a  draught  of  fresh 
water " 

"  Hold  your  tongue  !  Don't  speak  to  me,  miscreant ! " 
flashed  Elfie,  losing  her  patience. 

Meanwhile  Colonel  Corsoni  had  leaped  from  his  saddle, 
and  dipped  up  from  the  spring  a  can  of  water,  which  he  now 
held  to  Elfie's  lips. 

She  was  choking  with  thirst,  so  she  drank  it  all  and  bowed 
her  head  in  thanks. 


184  HOW     HE     WON      HEK. 

"  Now  I  think  we  want  foddering  as  well  as  watering. 
Corsoni,  my  friend,  what  is  the  condition  of  the  subsistence 
department  ?  " 

The  Free  Sword,  who  was  about  to  render  the  same  ser- 
vice to  his  wife  that  he  had  just  rendered  to  Elfie,  handed 
the  can  of  water  to  Alberta,  and  then  took  from  some  depos- 
itory about  his  horse  a  tin  box  of  ham  sandwiches,  which  he 
delivered  to  Colonel  Goldsborough. 

"  More  spoils  from  the  picnic,  I  suppose,"  said  Albert, 
as  he  received  them. 

"  Yes,  I  judge  so,  since  they  came  from  Mutchison," 
answered  Corsoni. 

"  Exactly.  Well,  Mrs.  Goldsborough,  if  you  would  like 
some  of  these  sandwiches,  and  will  promise  not  to  scalp  me, 
I  will  free  your  hands  long  enough  for  you  to  satisfy  your 
hunger,"  said  Elfie's  lover. 

"  You  poltroon  !  I  would  see  you  eaten  up  by  snakes 
sooner  than  I  would  touch  a  morsel  of  food  from  your 
thievish  and  blood-stained  hands !  If  I  cannot  free  myself 
in  any  other  way,  I  can  by  starving  myself  to  death  ! "  ex- 
claimed Elfie. 

"  Two  words  to  that,  Mrs.  Albert  Goldsborough  !  You 
may  think  you  have  a  right  to  destroy  yourself.  But  I'm 
dashed  if  you  have  any  right  to  destroy  my  wife,  after  all  the 
trouble  I  have  had  to  get  her,"  said  Albert,  as  he  put  spurs 
to  his  horse  and  bounded  away. 

Some  little  time  Corsoni  and  Alberta  lingered  to  take  a 
light  luncheon,  and  then  they  also  followed  after  him. 

They  continued  their  way  through  the  forest,  which  grew 
thicker  and  darker  as  they  penetrated  deeper  into  its  recesses. 
At  length,  however,  they  reached  higher  ground,  where  the 
trees  grew  thinner. 

And  just  as  the  moon  arose  they  began  to  ascend  that 
almost  inaccessible  part  of  the  mountains  known  as  the 
Black  Bear's  Pass. 


THE     FLIGHT.  185 

Steep,  winding,  difficult  and  dangerous  was  the  way. 

The  side  of  the  mountain  up  which  the  path  wound  was 
nearly  perpendicular,  broken  into  rocks,  cut  up  with  torrents 
and  obstructed  with  a  ragged,  scrubby  copse-wood  of  ever- 
green. The  precipice  towered  a  thousand  feet  above  them 
on  their  right  hand,  and  fell  a  thousand  feet  below  them  on 
their  left.  A  single  false  step  must  have  precipitated  horses 
and  riders  to  death. 

Corsoni  went  in  advance  and  Alberta  followed  on  her  sure 
footed  animal.  Neither  the  guerrilla  chief  nor  his  devoted 
wife  thought  or  cared  for  the  present  imminent  danger ;  for 
oh  !  a  more  horrible  fate  threatened  them  daily  in  Corsoni's 
possible  re-arrest  than  could  be  braved  in  a  quick  and  mer- 
ciful death  by  falling  over  this  precipice.  Indeed,  the  more 
terrible  the  dangers  of  the  path  the  more  assured  was  the 
heart  of  the  guerrilla's  wife,  since  the  perils  of  the  way 
seemed  to  promise  them  immunity  from  pursuit. 

They  went  on,  slowly  ascending  this  "  devil's  ladder,"  as 
Corsoni  laughingly  characterized  it,  until  at  last  they  heard 
voices  in  advance. 

They  had  once  more  come  unexpectedly  upon  Golds- 
borough  and  Elfie.  The  former  was  saying  : 

11  Now,  if  your  hands  were  free,  my  fair  wife,  you  would 
have  a  fine  opportunity  of  rolling  us  both  down  to  destruc- 
tion." 

"  No  matter,  wretch.  '  What's  not  paid  is  but  delayed.' 
I  shall  be  in  at  your  death  yet.  The  one  burning  aspiration 
of  my  soul  is  to  live  to  see  you  hanged,  Albert  Goldsbor- 
ough  ! "  she  exclaimed. 

"  So  you  shall,  Mrs.  Albert — around  your  pretty  neck, 
my  sweet  wife,  as  I  said  before,"  retorted  Goldsborough. 

It  was  while  this  tender  interchange  of  affection  was 
going  on  that  Corsoni  and  Alberta  rode  up  and  halted 
behind  the  party. 

"What's  the  matter  ahead  there?"  inquired  the  Free 
Sword.  "  Can't  you  get  on  ?  " 


186  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

"Yes,  but  very  slowly.  My  horse  carries  double,  you 
may  remember.  Besides,  Mrs.  Goldsborough  is  timid,  and 
does  not  like  me  to  go  any  faster,"  replied  Albert. 

"  It  is  false,  you  caitiff!  I  don't  care  how  fast  you  go — 
the  faster  the  better,  so  that  you  go  to  the  old  Nick!" 
flashed  Elfie. 

"  And  take  you  with  me  ?  "  queried  Albert. 

"  Hold  your  tongue  !  "  snapped  Elfie. 

"  Go  on,  my  dear  Goldsborough,  do,"  recommended 
Corsoni. 

"  I  am  going.  I  only  stop  once  in  a  way  for  a  little  love 
making  with  my  bonny  bride  here,  which  is  but  natural  in 
the  honeymoon,  you  know,"  said  Albert,  as  he  carefully  pro- 
ceeded on  his  way. 

Corsoni  and  Alberta  followed. 

The  pass  became  more  and  more  steep,  winding,  difficult 
and  dangerous.  The  rocks  were  more  broken,  the  torrents 
more  swollen,  the  copsewood  more  tangled  and  treacherous. 

The  precipice  now  rose  five  hundred  feet  on  their  right 
hand,  and  fell  fifteen  hundred  on  their  left.  The  false  step 
which  might  precipitate  horses  and  riders  to  death  seemed 
imminent. 

Alberta's  spirits  actually  rose  with  the  perils  and  perplex- 
ities of  the  ascent,  for  these  seemed  absolutely  to  insure  the 
fugitives  against  pursuit. 

"  I  do  not  think  the  Yankee  heroes  will  care  to  track  us 
up  this  path,"  said  Alberta,  exultingly. 

"  No,  I  do  not  think  they  will.  Besides,  one  single  reso- 
lute and  well  armed  man,  stationed  at  the  head  of  this  pass, 
could  keep  it  against  an  advancing  army,"  replied  the  Free 
Sword. 

An  hour  more  of  toilsome  and  terrible  climbing  brought 
them  to  the  top  of  the  mountain. 

The  full  moon  Avas  now  at  the  zenith,  and  shone  brightly 
down  upon  a  scene  which  was  as  great  a  curiosity  in  its 


THE     FLIGHT.  187 

way  as  the  Natural  Bridge  itself.  It  seemed  a  fort  of 
Nature's  own  forming.  Saucer-shaped  was  the  top  of  the 
mountain,  and  surrounded  by  a  natural  breastwork  of  earth 
and  rocks,  in  the  clefts  of  which  grew  sturdy  evergreens. 
Within  this  naturally  enclosed  space,  which  was  about  a 
mile  in  circumference,  was  a  picturesque  spectacle — groups 
pf  men,  droves  of  horses,  and  many  camp-fires.  But  here 
seemed  no  sign  of  shelter  for  man  or  beast. 

Colonel  Goldsborough  had  arrived  just  before  Corsoni  and 
Alberta.  He  had  unbound  his  captive,  who  was  seated  in 
sulky  silence  on  the  ground,  and  he  now  turned  to  receive 
the  Free  Sword. 

"  Welcome  to  the  Devil's  Eetreat,  for  such  is  the  delect- 
able name  by  which  this  natural  fortification  goes.  See, 
your  men  are  here  before  you,  and  they  are  already  prepar- 
ing for  the  comfort  of  Madam,"  he  said. 

Corsoni  laughed  and  thanked  his  host,  and  then  alighted 
and  lifted  his  wife  off  her  horse. 

"  You  must  be  nearly  dead  with  fatigue,  beloved,"  he 
whispered,  tenderly,  as  he  took  a  blanket  from  one  of  his 
men,  threw  it  to  the  ground,  and  gently  seated  Alberta  on 
it. 

Meanwhile,  some  of  Corsoni's  band  busied  themselves 
with  cutting  down  saplings,  driving  stakes  into  the  ground, 
weaving  walls,  and  roofing  in  a  temporary  shelter  for  Cor- 
soni's beloved  wife — beloved  by  all  the  band  for  her  devo- 
tion to  their  chief  and  their  cause. 

"  Come  sit  on  this  blanket  with  me,  Elfie.  You  will  take 
cold  on  the  bare  ground,  child,"  said  Alberta,  kindly. 

And  the  captive,  who  felt  a  sort  of  limited  sense  of  safety 
in  the  presence  of  the  chieftainess,  earne  and  sat  down 
beside  her. 

When  Alberta's  pretty,  picturesque  hut  of  fragrant 
evergreens  was  finished,  Haddycraff  came  to  her  and  said  : 

"  Your  shell  or  Ls  ready,  lady.  Come  into  it.  Abershaw 
will  bring  you  tea." 


188  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

Alberta  thanked  her  faithful  follower,  and  gave  her  hand 
to  her  female  companion,  saying : 

"  Come,  Elfie ;  yov.  shall  share  my  hut,  and  rest  under 
my  protection  to-night  as  last  night." 

And  Elfie,  whose  young  joints,  to  be  sure,  were  stiff  with 
long  constraint  and  hard  riding,  gladly  availed  herself  of 
Alberta's  aid  in  rising. 

"  Ah,  the  wretch !  what  pain  he  has  put  me  to,  with  all 
the  rest  of  my  wrongs  !  Every  bone  in  my  body  aches  as 
if  I  were  a  hundred  years  old.  Oh  !  that  fate  would  turn 
the  tables  and  give  that  man  over  to  my  tender  mercies 
for  one  day  !  "  she  cried,  as  she  struggled  painfully  to  her 
feet. 

"  Fate  may  well  do  so,  Elfie,  and  if  it  should,  you  will 
remember  nothing  of  Albert  but  that  he  was  the  lover  and 
the  beloved  of  your  earliest  youth,"  said  Alberta,  in  a  low 
and  gentle  voice,  as  she  led  the  way  taken  by  Haddycraff 
towards  her  hut. 

It  was  built  against  the  highest  part  of  that  natural  wall 
of  rocks,  and  it  was  sheltered  from  the  north  wind  by  a 
thick  clump  of  cedars  that  grew  above  them. 

The  walls  were  built  of  stakes  driven  into  the  ground, 
with  cedar  boughs  woven  thickly  between  them ;  and  the 
roof  was  made  of  sticks  laid  across  the  top,  with  cedar 
boughs  piled  and  pressed  down  on  them.  The  flooring, 
which  was  also  the  bedding,  was  made  of  dry  leaves,  with  a 
large,  clean  camp  blanket  laid  over  them.  The  door  was 
just  a  simple  opening  left  large  enough  for  a  woman  to  go 
in  and  out,  and  before  it  hung  a  small,  clean  piece  of  a 
camp  blanket,  fastened  with  wooden  pins  to  the  roof. 

Beside  this  door  stood  Abershaw,  another  of  Alberta's 
devoted  followers,  and  at  his  feet  lay  a  large  bundle  wrapped 
in  a  Mclntosh  waterproof  covering. 

"  I  was  the  last  to  leave  the  encampment,  Madam.  I 
lingered  behind,  with  the  colonel's  leave,  to  load  two  mules 


THE     FLIGHT.  189 

with  the  camp  furniture  of  your  room.     Here  is  a  part  of 
it,"  he  said,  stooping  and  beginning  to  open  the  bundle. 

"  And  so  you  ran  the  risk  of  capture  for  the  sake  of 
securing  these  comforts  for  me,  Abershaw  ? "  said  the 
colonel's  wife,  with  some  emotion. 

"Danger  and  duty  seems  to  be  the  same  thing  in  our 
wild  life,  Madam ;  and  I  am  only  too  glad  to  meet  the  one 
and  brave  the  other  in  your  services,"  said  this  gallant 
guerrilla,  lifting  his  hat. 

"  Warmest  thanks,  Abershaw.  But  the  colonel  will  know 
better  than  I  do  how  to  return  such  kindness." 

Again  the  man  lifted  his  hat,  and  then,  pointing  to  the 
opposite  side  of  the  area,  he  said : 

"  The  supper  is  nearly  ready  at  the  fire  over  there, 
Madam.  Will  you  and  the  young  lady  join  the  colonel  and 
his  guest  there,  or  will  you  have  your  tea  brought  here  ?  " 

"We  will  join  the  colonel's  party,  Abershaw,"  said 
Corsoni's  wife. 

"  Alberta,  you  will  do  as  you  please ;  but  as  for  me,  I  will 
starve  sooner  than  break  bread  in  Albert  Goldsborough's 
detestable  company  !  "  indignantly  exclaimed  Elfie. 

Abershaw  turned  with  an  involuntary  gaze  of  amaze- 
ment at  the  enraged  girl ;  for  he,  like  most  of  the  men, 
naturally  supposed  the  young  lady  to  be  the  willing  com- 
panion of  her  lover's  flight. 

But  Alberta  calmly  replied : 

"Very  well,  Abershaw.  You  hear  what  Miss  Fielding 
says.  Bring  our  suppers  here." 

The  man  bowed  and  turned  away. 

"  I  am  sorry  if  I  have  disconcerted  you,  Alberta ;  but  if 
my  life  depended  on  my  doing  so,  I  could  not  eat  and  drink 
with  that  dastardly  kidnapper  !  "  said  Elfie. 

"  It  does  not  matter  much  to  me,  dear.  Let's  drop  the 
subject  for  the  present.  We  will  speak  of  it  presently," 
said  Alberta,  who  was  stooping  over  and  examining  the 
contents  of  the  bundle  that  Abershaw  had  brought. 


190  HOW      HE      WON     HER. 

It  proved  to  contain  a  supply  of  pillows,  clean  sheets  and 
blankets,  from  Alberta's  press  in  the  old  plantation  house. 

"  How  kind  and  thoughtful  of  that  man  !  How  truly 
bound  he  is  to  the  colonel  and  myself !  "  murmured  Alberta. 

"  He  seems  to  be  a  very  superior  person,  that  Abershaw. 
Very  superior  to  his  condition,  I  mean,"  said  Elfie. 

"  There  are  several  such  among  the  devoted  followers  of 
the  Free  Sword,"  proudly  answered  Alberta. 

"  And  you — you  are  like  a  queen,  with  your  court  about 
you,  here  in  the  green  wood,"  continued  Elfie. 

"As  you  may  be,  if  you  like  the  sovereignty,"  replied 
the  chieftainess,  who  was  now  engaged  in  spreading  the 
clean  sheets  and  blankets,  and  placing  the  pillows  upon  the 
fragrant  bed  of  dried  leaves  in  her  hut. 

When  this  was  done,  she  came  out  of  the  hut,  and  sat 
down  with  Elfie  before  the  door. 

And  presently  was  seen  approaching  a  small  procession 
across  the  area. 

First  came  Abershaw,  with  a  table-cloth  thrown  over  his 
right  arm,  and  a  sugar  bowl  hugged  under  his  left ;  a  tea- 
pot in  one  hand,  and  a  milk  jug  in  the  other.  After  him 
followed  Haddycraff  with  a  large  plate  of  bread  and  butter 
and  a  big  dish  of  stewed  rabbits.  Behind  them  came 
another  man,  loaded  with  cups,  saucers,  plates,  spoons,  knives 
and  forks. 

When  Abershaw  reached  the  front  of  the  hut,  he  spread 
the  table-cloth  over  the  ground,  and  arranged  the  supper 
upon  it,  and  then  dismissed  his  assistants,  and  remained  to 
wait  on  the  wife  of  his  chief  and  her  companion. 

The  two  young  women  sat  down  to  the  feast. 

Nothing  on  earth  ever  took  away  Elfie's  appetite,  and  as 
she  was  now  very  hungry — not  having  eaten  a  morsel  since 
the  morning — she  fell  to  with  great  gusto. 

Not  so  Alberta.  For  one  thing,  the  guerrilla's  wife  had 
broken  her  fast  with  those  ham  sandwiches  in  the  after- 


THE     FLIGHT.  lyi 

noon ;  and  for  another,  she  was  troubled  with  many  subjects 
of  anxiety.  So  she  ate  but  little,  and  talked  a  great  deal. 

"Abershaw,  is  it  certain,  do  you  think,  that  Gill  really 
did  betray  us  ?  " 

"Not  a  doubt  of  it,  Madam.  He  was  a  spy  from  the 
first.  Tubman  swears  now,  though  it  did  not  occur  to  him 
at  first,  that  he  is  the  same  boy  he  has  seen  in  attendance 
upon  Major  Rosenthal.  Tubman,  you  know,  Madam,  was 
a  conscript  in  the  Union  army,  and  deserted  to  us." 

"  No,  I  didn't  know  it.  But  I  think  it  is  a  pity  Tubman 
did  not  recognize  the  boy  at  first,"  said  Alberta 

"  I  don't  think  he  saw  much  of  the  boy,  ma'am." 

"  Abershaw  1  You  were  the  last  to  leave  the  encamp- 
ment !  Did  you  see  any  sign  of  the  nearer  approach  of 
the  enemy's  cavalry,  before  you  left  ?  " 

"Yes,  Madam.  I  went  up  into  the  attic  and  climbed 
through  the  skylight  on  to  the  roof  of  the  house,  and  with  my 
leld-glass  I  saw  their  approach.  Their  advance  was  just 
rising  up  from  the  other  side  to  the  top  of  the  Hogsback 
hill — not  two  miles  off.  I  got  away  with  my  loaded  mules 
as  fast  as  I  could ;  and  thanks  to  the  thickness  of  the  forest, 
eluded  pursuit." 

"  Do  you  think,  Abershaw,  that  we  are  quite  safe  from 
pursuit  here  ?  " 

"Safe  from  surprise  at  least,  Madam.  The  pass  is 
strongly  picketed  at  short  intervals  for  two  miles  down." 

"  Is  Monck's  battalion  expected  soon,  do  you  know  ?  " 

"  Hourly,  Madam." 

"  Will  they  come  up  by  the  same  way  that  we  did  ?  " 

"No,  Madam  ;  by  the  opposite  side,  which  is  much  easier 
of  ascent.  Our  straggling  men  are  also  arriving  by  scores  ; 
the  Colonel  will  soon  re-organize  his  whole  force  ;  and  when 
Monck's  men  join  us,  we  shall  be  able  to  hold  this  post 
against  any  nnmber  that  may  be  brought  against  it." 

"  But  we  are  not  to  remain  here." 


192  HOW      HE     WON     HJ*R. 

"No,  Madam.  As  soon  as  our  whole  force,  including  the 
three  independent  commands,  is  mustered,  there  is  to  be 
another  great  raid  into  Pennsylvania  or  Maryland,  before 
the  winter  sets  in." 

Alberta  clasped  her  hands  together,  with  a  look  of  woe 
unutterable  and  indescribable. 

"  Will  you  have  anything  more,  Madam  ?  "  inquired  her 
attendant,  who  had  not  seen  the  misery  on  her  face. 

"No,  Abershaw.  Take  all  those  things  away! — You 
have  finished,  I  believe,  Elfie  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  ever  so  long  ago  ! " 

"  Remove  them,  Abershaw ;  and  pray  ask  Colonel 
Corsoni  if  he  will  step  here  and  see  me  before  I  retire." 

The  man  promptly  obeyed  the  order  by  piling  up  as  much 
of  the  cracked  crockery  and  broken  cutlery  as  he  could 
carry,  and  walking  off  with  his  arms  full. 

He   came   back   a  second   time   with  an  assistant  who 
helped  him  to  take  away  all  that  was  left ;  and  he  gave 
message  to  Madam  Corsoni   to  the  effect  that  the  colonel 
would  attend  her  immediately. 

When  the  two  men  had  finally  left  the  spot,  and  the  Free 
Sword  was  seen  approaching  it,  Elfie  retired  within  the  hut 
leaving  the  husband  and  wife  together. 


COL'ONEL    ROSENTHAL.  193 


CHAPTER  XV. 

COLONEL   ROSENTHAL. 

His  eyebrow  dark  and  eye  of  Ore 
Showed  spirit  proud  and  prompt, to  Ire; 
Yet  lines  of  thought  upon  his  cheek, 
Did  deep  design  and  counsel  speak; 
His  forehead  by  his  casque  worn  bare, 
His  thick  moustache  and  curling  hair, 
Dark  brown  and  grizzled  here  and  there, 

But  more  through  toil  than  age. 
His  square  turned  joints  and  strength  of  limb 
Showed  him  no  carpet  knight  so  trim, 
But  in  close  flght  a  champion  grim, 

In  camps  a  leader  sage. — SCOTT.  • 

LEAVING  Elfie  in  the  hands  of  the  guerrillas,  we  must 
go  and  look  after  Justin,  from  whom  we  have  been  separated 
too  long. 

It  is  true  that  we  have  heard  of  him  from  time  to  time, 
and  by  little  fragments  of  news  picked  up  here  and  there, 
we  have  been  able  to  keep  track  of  his  movements  since  he 
left  us. 

We  know,  for  instance,  that  his  regiment  has  been  en- 
gaged in  several  sharp  skirmishes,  such  as  would  be  set 
down  as  great  battles  in  any  other  country  than  this,  the 
theatre  of  our  colossal  war,  and  that  in  every  one  of  these 
fights  he  distinguished  himself  alike  by  his  personal  cour- 
age and  his  military  skill. 

We  have  heard  that,  for  gallant  and  meritorious  conduct, 
he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major,  and  that,  by  the 
death  or  disabling  of  his  superior  officers,  the  temporary 
command  of  his  regiment,  then  on  duty  at  H.,  devolved 
upon  him. 

Now  it  happened  that  upon  the  very  morning  of  Elfie's 
fatal  picnic  excursion,  the  colonel  of  Justin's  regiment, 
being  convalescent,  returned  to  his  post  of  duty.  Major 
Kosenthal  was  relieved,  and  for  faithful  and  efficient  services, 
was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  colonel,  and  ordered  to  assume 
12 


194  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

the  command  of  the Cavalry,  then  stationed  at  W.,  in 

the  valley. 

The  next  morning  Colonel  Kosenthal,  mounted  on  a  noble 
•war-horse,  set  forth  to  cross  the  Blue  Ridge,  en  route  for  his 
distant  destination.  He  was  attended  by  a  single  orderly, 
Sergeant  Hay,  the  friendless  youth  whom  Britomarte  had 
kissed  and  blessed  on  the  moving  of  the  brigade,  and  who 
was  thenceforth  the  object  of  Justin's  especial  care. 

The  valley  was  free,  or  supposed  to  be  free,  from  guerrillas, 
and  therefore  a  body  guard  was  deemed  unnecessary. 

It  was  a  glorious  autumn  morning  after  the  storm,  and 
the  passage  of  the  mountains  on  this  route  was  neither 
difficult  nor  dangerous.  And  it  was  yet  early  in  the  fore- 
noon when  Colonel  Rosenthal,  having  crossed  the  ridge  in 
safety,  descended  into  the  old  turnpike  stage  road,  leading 
though  a  dense  forest  towards  W.,  which  was  still  far 
distant. 

But  the  glory  of  the  morning  had  no  power  to  lighten 
the  gloom  that  overshadowed  the  young  officer's  spirit. 

In  truth,  he  had  both  public  and  private  matter  for 
depression. 

The  former  was  of  course  grief  for  the  wide-spread  ruin 
wrought  by  the  war.  and  sickness  of  soul  with  "  hope 
deferred "  by  its  long  continuance  and  indefinitely  post- 
poned end,  and  was  shared  by  every  patriot  in  the  land,  and 
every  philanthropist  in  the  world. 

The  latter  was  in  distress  about  his  sister  Erminie  and  his 
beloved  Britomarte,  and  his  intense  anxiety  concerning 
the  fate  of  a  young  orderly  sergeant,  whom,  while  in  tem- 
porary command  of  the  regiment,  he  had  detailed  on  special 
duty,  and  who  had  left  him  about  seven  days  previous  to 
this,  and  had  not  yet  been  heard  from. 

This  boy  was  an  especial  favorite  with  his  superior  officer. 
Soon  after  the  regiment  had  left  Washington,  and  while  it 
was  lying  at  City  Point,  he  had  enlisted.  Since  that,  for 


COLONEL     ROSENTHAL.  195 

cleanliness,  sobriety,  diligence,  fidelity,  and,  in  short,  all 
soldierly  good  qualities,  he  had  been  steadily  promoted 
until  he  had  reached  the  rank  of  sergeant. 

As  by  instinct  Justin  Rosenthal  soon  singled  the  boy  out 
from  his  comrades,  and  selected  him  as  one  of  his  own 
orderlies,  Hay  being  the  other. 

Now  it  occurred  that  while  Major  Rosenthal  was  in  com- 
mand of  the  regiment  at  H.,  there  came  rumors  of  the  re- 
appearance of  the  terrible  Free  Sword  on  the  east  side  of 
the  Blue  Ridge.  He  was  reported  to  be  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  L.,  re-organizing  his  band  of  desperadoes,  who 
were  flocking  to  his  standard  by  scores,  by  fifties  and  by 
hundreds. 

It  was  whispered  that  there  was  a  plan  on  foot  to  mass 
the  tbree  great  bands  respectively  commanded  by  Monck, 
Corsoni  and  Goldsborough ;  then  to  cross  the  river  above 
tiie  Point  of  Rocks,  slip  down  behind  the  line  of  forts,  and 
make  a  sudden  dash  into  Washington. 

Such  were  the  rumors  among  the  country  people;  but 
whether  they  were  true  or  false,  or  by  whom,  or  upon  what 
ground  they  had  been  started,  no  one  could  tell. 

Reconnoitering  parties  had  been  sent  to  beat  up  the 
country  in  the  neighborhood  of  L. ;  but  they  had  returned 
without  having  seen  or  heard  anything  about  the  dreaded 
Free  Sword  or  any  of  his  followers. 

Either  he  was  not  there,  or  his  encampment  was  well  con- 
cealed, and  the  people  of  the  country  were  keeping  his 
secret. 

And  as  for  Monck's  and  Goldsborough's  bands,  there 
was  not  even  a  rumor  suggestive  of  their  whereabouts. 

It  became  now  advisable  to  send  some  person  of  equal 
tact  a-nd  courage,  who  should  go  among  the  country  people 
in  the  vicinity  of  L.,  pass  for  a  secessionist,  discover  the 
retreat  of  the  Free  Sword,  penetrate  to  his  camp,  and  find 
out  what  foundation  there  might  be  for  all  the  rumors  that 
were  afloat. 


196  HOW     HE     WON      HEK. 

The  duty  must  be  undertaken  voluntarily  of  course  ;  but 
no  one  in  the  regiment  was  found  willing  to  go  upon  this 
dangerous  expedition,  until  Will.  Wing,  the  major's 
second  orderly,  proffered  his  services  for  the  forlorn  hope. 

His  major  was  surprised  and  softened  by  this  devotion  in 
one  so  young  and  tender  as  this  boy,  and  he  kindly  and 
candidly  set  before  him  the  extreme  perils  of  the  enterprise. 

But  Wing  was  firm,  and  respectfully  represented  that  his 
very  youth  would  be  his  protection,  as  it  would  render  him 
an  object  of  less  suspicion  to  the  enemy ;  and  he  begged 
that  he  might  be  permitted  to  render  the  required  service 
to  his  country. 

So  the  major  had  consented,  and  the  young  orderly,  dis- 
guised in  a  suit  of  confederate  gray,  had  left  H.  some  seven 
days  before,  and  since  that  he  had  not  been  seen  or  heard 
from. 

And  now  Colonel  Eosenthal's  soul  was  pierced  by  remorse 
for  having  suffered  the  boy  to  go  upon  such  a  fatal  errand, 
and  by  grief  for  his  probable  fate ;  for  scarcely  a  doubt 
remained  upon  the  colonel's  mind  that  his  spy  b.ad  been 
discovered,  and  had  fallen  a  victim  to  the  vengeance  of  the 
terrible  Free  Sword. 

With  a  spirit  burdened  and  darkened  by  these  thoughts 
and  feelings,  Colonel  Rosenthal  rode  on  his  way. 

So  few  travellers  passed  this  old,  deserted  turnpike  road, 
that  the  sound  of  horse's  feet,  galloping  rapidly  towards 
him,  startled  Justin  and  caused  him*  to  look  up  ;  when,  to 
his  unspeakable  joy,  he  recognized  Wing. 

Smiling,  the  boy  saluted  his  officer  and  sprang  from  his 
horse. 

"  Oh,  Wing,  my  child  !  I  am  so  rejoiced  to  see  you  safe 
back  again !  What  news  ? "  eagerly  exclaimed  Colonel 
Rosenthal. 

"  Great  news,  Major,"  said  Wing,  who  knew  nothing  of 
his  officer's  new  rise  in  rank — "  great  news,  sir  !  I  have 


COLONEL     ROSENTHAL. 

met  with  a  complete  success.     I  have  unearthed  Corsoni 
and  delivered  him  and  his  band  over  to  our  forces." 

"  That  is  glorious  !  Wing,  you  shall  have  a  lieutenant's 
commission  for  that !  " 

"  Thanks,  Major ;  if  the  new  commission  is  not  to 
remove  me  from  your  side,"  said  the  orderly. 

"  Foolish  boy  !  Do  you  weigh  your  attachment  to  me 
against  such  an  honor  as  that  ?  " 

"  No ;  Heaven  knows  I  do  not ;  for  my  attachment  to 
you  would  so  weigh  down  the  honor  that  it  would  send  the 
lieutenant's  commission  flying  ! " 

"  We  shall  not  be  separated,  Wing.  I  shall  take  good 
care  of  that.  I  am  going  on  to  W.  to  take  command  of  a 
cavalry  regiment  there.  After  you  are  promoted,  if  you 
should  be  found  capable  of  fulfilling  the  duties  of  the  office, 
you  shall  be  my  adjutant  and  live  at  my  head  quarters. 
But  where  were  you  flying  so  fast  when  I  met  you,  Wing?  " 

"  To  report  to  you,  Colonel." 

"  At  H.  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"Well,  you  have  an  opportunity  of  reporting  here. 
Mount  your  horse,  Wing,  and  ride  on  with  me.  I  have 
managed  to  get  you  a-nd  Hay  detached  from  your  late  regi- 
ment, and  transferred  to  the  one  of  which  I  am  about  to 
assume  the  command ;  so  that  you  may  both  be  near  me,  as 
formerly." 

"Thanks,  Colonel,"  answered  Wing,  springing  lightly 
into  his  saddle. 

"  Now  give  me  a  full  report  of  your  expedition,  Wing. 
Yet  let  it  be  a  brief  one,  since  'brevity  is  the  soul  of 
wit.' » 

"It  shall  be  brief  as  a  military  order,  my  Colonel. 
When  I  left  the  camp,  seven  days  since,  with  the  rebel 
prisoner's  clothes  on  my  back  and  the  rebel  soldier's  pass  in 
my  pocket,  and  your  pass  rolled  up  into  the  compass  of  a 


198  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

hazel-nut  and  wrapped  in  water-proof  skin,  tucked  into  my 
cheek  like  a  quid  of  tobacco,  so  that  I  could  even  swallow  it 
in  a  case  of  extreme  emergency,  I  took  the  way  to  L., 
avoiding  the  highway  and  keeping  pretty  much  to  the  coun- 
try roads  and  bridle-paths.  I  stopped  at  the  farm-houses, 
ostensibly  to  procure  food  or  lodging,  but  really  to  get 
information.  I  passed  for  a  confederate  soldier  on  leave 
going  home  to  L.  to  see  my  friends ;  and  to  prove  my  words 
true,  I  showed  them  the  pass  that  we  took  from  the  prisoner 
William  Gill,  whom  we  captured  near  C." 

"  But,  Wing,  there  was  danger  in  that." 

"  Sir,  there  was  danger  in  every  step  of  the  expedition. 
I  was  prepared  to  meet  it." 

"  Brave  boy !  But  suppose  you  had  met  with  people  who 
knew  the  person  of  this  William  Gill." 

"  Sir,  I  had  to  risk  that,  and  to  use  some  little  address. 
On  coming  to  a  farm-house,  at  the  close  of  the  day,  for 
instance,  I  would  be  taken  at  once  by  my  uniform  to  be  a 
confederate  soldier,  and  I  would  be  received  and  treated 
kindly.  Soon  I  would  take  an  opportunity  of  asking  my 
entertainers  if  they  knew  a  family  of  the  name  of  Gill. 
Almost  invariably  it  happened  that  they  knew  no  such  family 
personally ;  though  in  some  instances  they  knew  of  them.  I 
would  express  myself  sorry  for  that,  as  I  was  a  connection  of 
that  family  myself  and  had  been  in  hopes  of  meeting  friends 
on  my  road.  When  my  entertainers  betrayed  suspicion  of 
me,  which  was  very  seldom,  I  showed  Gill's  pass,  which  at 
once  dissipated  all  their  doubts." 

"  Well,  and  what  did  you  hear  from  these  people  ?  " 

"  Plenty  of  abuse  of  the  Yankees,  Colonel,  which  was 
quite  natural,  and  in  which  I  joined  so  boisterously  and 
with  such  seeming  malignity  as  sometimes  even  to  provoke 
an  apology  for  these  same  Yankees  from  their  confederate 
foes.  '  Some  of  them  Union  fellows  were  not  so  very  bad, 
after  all/  the  rebels  admitted." 


COLONEL     ROSENTHAL.  199 

"Well,  but  about  the  Free  Sword?"  inquired  Colonel 
Eosenthal. 

"  I  heard  nothing  for  the  firs-t  two  days.  Near  noon,  on 
the  second  day  of  my  journey,  I  fell  in  with  a  party  of  our 
foragers.  I  was  stopped  immediately  as  a  rebel  But  I 
took  out  my  quid  of  water-proof  skin,  and  unrolled  and 
exhibited  your  pass,  and  told  my  story.  I  passed  the  night 
with  them,  and  from  them  I  learned  that  on  the  preceding 
night  they  had  surrounded  the  house  of  a  certain  notorious 
bushwhacker  named  Gill,  with  orders  to  arrest  him  and  his 
sons  ;  that  they  had  been  fired  upon  from  the  windows  of 
the  house,  and  several  of  their  number  wounded  and  two 
killed ;  that  they  had  then  fired  the  house  and  burned  out 
the  bushwhackers.  The  father  and  one  son  were  killed  in 
the  fight  that  followed,  and  the  other  sou  was  taken  pris- 
oner. There  was  another  son,  they  said,  who  had  been  cap- 
tured some  six  weeks  before.  I  explained  to  the  men  that 
this  first  captured  son  was  the  one  I  was  personating,  and 
that  the  affair  of  the  previous  night  would  aid  rne  very  much 
in  keeping  up  the  character.  In  the  morning  I  left  them 
and  went  on  my  journey,  striking  deeper  into  the  forest." 

"I  hope  you  soon  struck  the  trail  of  the  Free  Sword." 

"  Sooner  than  I  expected.  Look  you,  sir :  I  did  not  spare 
my  flesh  and  blood.  I  gashed  myself  with  several  wounds, 
to  make  it  appear  that  I  had  been  in  a  fight.  Nor  did  I 
spare  the  Confederate  uniform.  I  burned  and  scorched  it 
in  several  places,  to  make  it  seem  that  I  had  barely  escaped 
with  my  life  from  the  burning  homestead." 

"  You  have  a  great  deal  of  craft  for  one  so  young, 
Wing." 

" '  Necessity  is  the  mother  of  invention,'  it  is  said,  sir. 
In  this  'forlorn  plight'  I  went  on  my  way,  until,  near 
nightfall,  I  came  to  a  lonely  farm-house,  on  the  edge 
of  the  forest,  where  there  were  some  extremely  ragged 
Confederate  soldiers,  smoking  and  drinking.  I  dragged  my- 


200  HOW      HE      WON     HER. 

self  to  their  presence,  and  told  them  my  piteous  story  :  how 
I  was  a  Confederate  soldier  on  leave  ;  how  I  was  going  home 
to  see  my  father  and  brothers,  when,  on  the  very  night  of 
my  arrival,  their  house  was  burned,  and  they  themselves 
bayonetted  by  the  Yankee  soldiers  ;  and  how  I  had  barely 
escaped  with  my  life." 

"  There  again  you  ran  a  risk,  Wing !  Suppose  these  sol- 
diers had  personally  known  the  Gills  ?  " 

"  I  provided  for  that,  Colonel.  The  first  question  I 
groaned  forth  was  whether  they  knew  the  Gills.  'No — none 
of  them  knew  the  family  personally,  though  one  man  said 
he  had  heard  of  them,  and  that  they  had  a  son  in  the  Con- 
federate army.  So  you  see,  my  Colonel,  all  the  rest  was  easy 
enough.  I  had  only  to  say  that  I  was  that  son,  and  to  tell 
them  my  piteous  story." 

"  But  suppose  some  one  of  their  number  had  known  the 
son  by  sight,  and  so  had  detected  you  ?  " 

"  Suppose  the  earth  had  opened  under  my  feet,  Colonel  ? 
I  beg  your  pardon  for  speaking  so  lightly,  sir  ;  but  one  was 
as  likely  to  happen  as  the  other.  Both  were  possible,  but 
neither  probable.  However,  I  had  even  provided  for  the 
remote  contingency  of  detection  before  committing  myself  in 
my  story.  I  had  ascertained  by  observation  that  no  one 
among  them  knew  by  sight  any  member  of  the  Gill  family. 
If  they  had,  I  should  have  passed  myself  as  a  distant  con- 
nection, bearing  the  same  name." 

"  Go  on,  my  boy." 

"  One  of  the  men — Haddycraff — asked  me  how  long  I  had 
to  serve  in  the  regiment  to  which  I  belonged.  I  -answered, 
no  time  at  all.  That  my  leave  in  point  of  fact  amounted  to 
a  discharge  ;  for  that  before  the  leave  should  expire,  my  time 
of  service  would  be  out." 

"  And  what  was  your  motive  in  telling  that  story,  Gill  ? 
Was  it  that  you  had  got  your  hand  in,  or  rather  your  tongue 
in,  to  the  invention  line  of  business,  and  couldn't  get  it  out 
again  ?  "  laughed  Colonel  Eosenthal. 


COLONEL     ROSENTHAL.  201 

"  Not  at  all,  sir ;  I  had  a  motive  in  saying  that.  I  saw 
that  the  men  among  whom  I  found  myself  were  members  of 
come  guerrilla  gang,  and  that  they  were  after  recruits.  The 
event  proved  that  I  was  quite  right,  for  Sergeant  Haddycraff 
slapping  me  smartly  upon  the  shoulder,  exclaimed  heartily: 

" '  Well,  my  brave  hoy,  a  soldier  does  not  sit  down  to 
weep  over  his  wrongs,  like  a  woman ;  he  rises  up  to  avenge 
them  like  a  man  ! " 

" '  And  that  I  mean  to  do  on  every  blamed  Unionist  I 
can  find ! '  I  answered. 

" '  Quite  right.  Now  you're  a-chatting.  That's  the  talk ! 
Now  to  help  you  to  do  this,  how  would  you  like  to  take  ser- 
vice under  one  of  our  gallant  independent  leaders  ? '  he 
asked. 

" '  One  of  the  guerrilla  chiefs,  do  you  mean  ? '  I  inquired. 

"'That's  what  the  lying  Yankees  call  us,  blast  them! 
We  are  no  more  guerrillas  than  we  are  Cossacks ! '  ex- 
claimed Haddycraff  angrily. 

" '  But  for  my  part,  I  thank  the  Yankees  for  bestowing 
it.  I  should  glory  in  the  name  of  guerrilla,'  I  said. 

" '  Ha,  ha,  ha !  we  have  made  it  a  terror  to  the  clock- 
peddling  heroes  who  have  mistaken  their  vocation  and  come 
down  here  to  fight  us,'  chuckled  Haddycraff. 

" '  To  be  a  gallant  guerrilla  is  the  height  of  my  ambition/ 
I  said. 

" '  Then  how  would  you  like  service  under  the  brave  Free 
Sword?'  ^ 

"'The  Free  Sword!'  I  exclaimed,  with  enthusiasm. 
'  Oh,  Heaven  !  I  should  think  it  almost  too  much  glory  to 
hope  for,  to  live  and  die  in  the  service  of  the  great  Free 
Sword ! ' 

" '  And  I  tell  you  what,  my  boy,  your  ardent  admiration 
of  Colonel  Corsoni  is  shared  by  at  least  one-half  the  youth 
in  Virginia.' 

"  'But  the  cursed  Yankees  who  burned  my  father's  house 


202  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

were  saying  among  themselves  that  the  force  of  the  Free 
Sword  was  entirely  broken  up  and  scattered  to  the  four 
winds,  and  that  it  never  could  be  re-organized,'  I  said. 

"'Ho,  ho,  ho!  And  that  is  all  they  know  about  it, 
laughed  Haddycraff ;  '  and  if  you  choose  to  go  with  me,  and 
take  service  under  the  Free  Sword,  you  may  know  for  your- 
self how  little  truth  there  is  in  those  reports.' 

"  Well,  my  colonel,  I  agreed  to  accompany  the  guerrillas 
to  the  camp  of  their  chief.  And  so,  when  they  had  feasted 
at  the  expense  of  the  farm  people,  who  were  mostly  women 
and  negroes,  and  had  loaded  their  mules  with  farm  produce, 
for  which  they  paid  in  veritable  greenbacks,  we  all  took  the 
road  through  the  woods  for  some  miles,  and  then  turned  out 
of  the  road  in  the  thickest  depths  of  the  pathless  forest,  and 
with  no  other  guide  than  a  pocket  compass,  found  our  way 
to  the  encampment  of  the  Free  Sword." 

"  And  where  was  that  ?  " 

"  On  an  old  deserted  plantation  in  a  clearing  of  that  same 
forest.  The  approaches  to  the  encampment  were  very  strong- 
ly picketed.  There  was  strict  military  discipline  observed. 
We  reached  head  quarters  just  as  they  were  beating  the 
reveille,  and  in  twenty  minutes  afterwards  I  was  ushered 
into  the  presence  of  the  Free  Sword.  A  very  handsome 
fellow  is  this  celebrated  guerrilla  chief,  my  colonel,  looking 
every  inch  a  brigand  leader,  however,  and  reminding  one 
strongly  of  '  Fra  Diavolo '  in  the  opera." 

"  Yes,  yes — I  know  the  personal  appearance  of  Vittorio 
Corsoni.  I  knew  him  well  in  former  days.  He  was  a  young 
Italian  adventurer,  and  at  the  first  opportunity  took  to  the 
guerrilla  life  as  naturally  as  a  duck  to  water.  How  were  you 
received  by  him  ?  " 

"  Very,  very  kindly.  He  bent  those  large,  dark  eyes  so 
earnestly  upon  me  while  I  was  telling  my  piteous  story  of 
coming  back  to  find  a  burning  homestead  and  a  murdered 
father,  with  his  '  hoary  head  all  dabbled  with  his  blood,'  that 


COLONEL     ROSENTHAL.  203 

to  escape  his  intense  gaze  I  had  to  cover  my  face  with  my 
hands  and  take  refuge  behind  a  flood  of  tears.  And  then 
what  do  you  think  happened,  Colonel  ?  " 

"What?" 

"  I  felt  the  hand  of  the  Free  Sword  laid  gently  on  my 
head — gently  as  a  woman's  hand — and  I  heard  his  voice, 
saying: 

" '  You  shall  stay  with  me  and  be  my  son,  and  I  will  avenge 
you  on  your  adversaries.'  It  was  as  if  the  voice  of  a  god  of 
Olympus  had  spoken." 

"Are  you  an  enthusiast,  Wing?"  inquired  Col.  Eosen- 
thal. 

"Perhaps,  sir.  Then,  at  least,  when  I  looked  up  and  saw 
tears  of  compassion  standing  in  brave  Corsoni's  eyes — com- 
passion for  me,  come  to  his  camp  to  betray  him,  I  felt  for  a 
moment  as  if  I  were  the  caitiff  and  traitor,  and  he  were  the 
hero  and  patriot;  and  I  assure  you,  my  Colonel,  that  I  had 
to  remember  he  was  in  arms  against  our  government  before 
I  could  reconcile  myself  to  the  part  I  had  to  play." 

"  One  might  think  you  had  fallen  in  love  with  the  inter- 
esting brigand  ! " 

"  That  would  have  been  quite  impossible  for  me,  sir ' 
Yet  I  do  not  wonder  that  his  wife  did  !  nor  that  she  keeps 
close  to  his  side  through  all  the  evils  and  dangers  of  his 
wild  life  ! " 

"  You  talk  like  a  woman,  Wing,"  exclaimed  the  colonel, 
laughing. 

"  Perhaps  I  do,  sir ;  but  I  acted  like  a  man  !  like  a  very 
man ! "  retorted  Wing,  sarcastically ;  "  for  I  betrayed  the 
host  of  whom  I  pretended  to  seek  refuge,  and  who  promised 
to  protect  me  and  avenge  my  supposed  injuries  !  " 

"  And  now  you  talk  like  one  particular  woman  whom  I 
could  name  !  But  proceed,  my  boy  !  How  did  you  get  on 
in  the  camp  of  the  Free  Sword  ?  " 

"  Very  successfully !     He   said  that  I   was  not  stout 


204  HOW      HE      WON     HER. 

enough  for  their  liard,  military  duty,  so  he  placed  me  in 
attendance  upon  his  wife.  But  I  had  ample  opportunities 
of  finding  out  their  plans;  for  the  Free  Sword  had  no 
secrets  from  the  devoted  companions  of  his  dangers.  I 
learned,  little  by  little,  that  there  was  certainly  a  plan  on 
foot  to  consolidate  the  three  great  guerrilla  hands,  to  make 
a  raid  into  Pennsylvania  or  Maryland ;  they  had  not  decided 
which  was  to  he  the  theatre  of  the  invasion.  They  were 
waiting  for  the  arrival  of  Colonel  Goldsborough,  who  was 
daily  expected. 

«  Go  on." 

"Well,  sir,  I  remained  in  the  camp  of  the  Free  Sword 
for  five  days ;  hut  I  learned  nothing  more,  because  there 
was  really  nothing  more  to  learn.  But  on  the  evening  of 
tha  fifth  day  there  was  a  surprise." 

"  Ah ! " 

"Not  from  our  forces.  The  surprise  was  the  sudden 
arrival  of  Colonel  Goldsborough  with  a  female  captive.  He 
came  in  the  dead  of  night,  with  his  prisoner  hound  on  the 
horse  behind  him,  and  attended  by  a  single  officer,  the 
notorious  Nicholas  Hutchison,  whose  gigantic  proportions 
have  in  no  degree  been  exaggerated  by  report." 

"Umph!" 

"We  learned  from  that  loud-mouthed  Hutchison,  who 
told  the  story  with  great  gusto,  that  their  band  had  surpris- 
ed a  picnic  party  near  the  Point  of  Hocks  ;  had  exchanged 
their  own  foul  and  ragged  clothing  for  the  holiday  dresses 
of  the  gentlemen,  as  far  as  they  would  go ;  had  eaten  up 
the  picnic  dinner  and  finished  the  evening  by  a  ball  in 
which  they  danced  with  the  ladies  of  the  party  ;  and  finally 
had  broken  up  their  bivouac  in  a  hurry  at  the  arrival  of 
their  chief  and  the  announcement  of  a  squadron  of  Yankee 
cavalry  near,  and  had  brought  off  one  young  lady  captive, 
leaving  all  the  others  to  find  their  way  home  as  they 
could." 


COLONEL     R08ENTHAL.  205 

"  Where  was  this  picnic  party  from  ?  " 

«  Washington." 

"  And — what  young  lady  was  that  who  was  taken  cap- 
tive?" inquired  Colonel  Bosenthal,  with  a  vdawning  of 
anxiety. 

"Hutchison  called  her  Miss  Fielding;  Colonel  Golds- 
borough  called  her  Elfie." 

"  Good  Heaven  !  " 

"  What  is  the  matter,  sir  ?  " 

"  I  know  the  young  lady.  She  is  an  old  friend  of  my 
sister.  Go  on,  Wing." 

"Well,  sir,  the  young  lady  was  placed  under  the  care  of 
Madam  Corsoni,  who  made  her  comfortable — that  is,  as 
comfortable  as  any  creature  whose  every  breath  was  a  male- 
diction could  be  made." 

"  The  young  lady  did  not  bear  her  captivity  very  patient- 
ly, then  ?  " 

"Patiently!  I  tell  you,  my  Colonel,  if  I  had  been 
Albert  Goldsborough  I  had  rather  carried  off  bodily  a  well 
grown  she-tiger.  She  had  torn  his  hair  and  whiskers 
out  by  the  roots  and  had  nearly  clawed  both  his  ears  off. 
His  jaws  will  have  to  be  bandaged  for  a  month  ;  and  if  he 
doesn't  get  erysipelas  from  his  wounds,  I  don't  know  what 
will  prevent  him.  Afterwards,  while  she  was  in  the  care  of 
Madam  Corsoni,  as  I  said  before,  she  did  nothing  but 
breathe  maledictions  against  him  and  his  band." 

"Very  natural  and  extremely  like  her.  Well,  my  boy, 
you  say  that  was  on  the  evening  of  the  fifth  day ;  you  must 
have  left  soon  after  that." 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  did.  That  night  the  Free  Sword,  much  to 
his  distaste,  had  to  give  up  his  half  of  his  lady's  chamber 
to  her  new  guest;  for  as  Madam  Corsoni  was  the  only 
other  woman  in  the  encampment,  she  insisted  on  keeping 
the  young  girl  under  her  own  immediate  protection." 

"And  she  was  quite  right.     Proceed,  Wing." 


206  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

"That  night  the  Free  Sword,  being  banished  from  hia 
wife's  quarters,  passed  the  hours  with  his  guest,  Colonel 
Goldsborough,  in  consultation  upon  the  combination  of 
their  forces  for  the  projected  raid.  I  kept  the  door.  In 
that  interview  it  was  decided  that  the  three  great  bands  re- 
spectively commanded  by  Colonel  Corsoni,  Goldsborcmgh 
and  Monck,  should  rendezvous  at  the  Black  Bear's  Pass, 
where  the  greater  portion  of  Goldsborough's  guerrillas  had 
already  preceded  them,  and  where  Monck's  horde  was  ex- 
pected to  join  them.  It  was  arranged  that  they  should 
march  the  next  day,  if  the  weather  should  permit." 

"Well!     Goon." 

"When  I  had  heard  so  much,  my  Colonel,  I  thought  it 
was  about  time  for  me  to  make  my  escape  from  the  Free 
Sword's  camp  and  carry  the  information  to  the  nearest 
Federal  Fort.  Soon  as  I  was  relieved  from  duty  at  the 
office  door,  I  took  measures  to  get  off  unobserved.  Fortu- 
nately for  me,  there  was  a  terrible  storm  arose.  Under  its 
cover  I  made  my  escape." 

"  How  did  you  pass  their  pickets,  my  boy  ?  " 

"I  crawled  through  the  dense  and  pathless  woods  be- 
tween the  picket  stations,  until  I  got  quite  clear  of  the  en- 
campment. Fate  still  favored  me.  Outside  I  caught  a 
horse  all  saddled  and  bridled,  that  seemed  to  have  broken 
away  from  his  fastenings  somewhere.  Once  mounted  on 
the  horse,  I  dashed  on  as  fast  as  possible  towards  Fort  R., 
•where  I  arrived  just  before  sunrise.  I  was  stopped  and 
questioned  by  our  own  pickets.  I  had  no  pass-word,  of 
course ;  but  I  told  my  story  and  was  taken  under  guard  up 
to  head  quarters,  where  again  to  Colonel  D.  I  told  my  story. 
And  in  fifteen  minutes  or  less  time,  two  companies  of 
cavalry  were  mounted  and  off  after  the  Free  Sword.  I  was 
detained  in  a  sort  of  honorable  captivity  for  several  hours, 
and  finally  dismissed  with  a  pass  to  return  to  my  regiment 
at  H." 


COLONEL     BOSENTHAL.  207 

"Before  leaving  Fort  E.,  did  you  hear  from  the  com- 
panies that  went  out  after  Corsoni  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  some  of  the  men  returned  to  report  to  Col.  W. 
that  my  information  was  correct ;  that  they  had  found  the 
camp  of  the  Free  Sword  just  where  I  had  reported  it  to  he  ; 
but  that  the  hand  had  prohably  received  information  of  the 
approach  of  our  forces,  for  that  they  had  hastily  evacuated 
the  premises." 

"  Then  Corsoni  and  his  band  were  not  captured  ?  " 

"No,  sir;  but  the  cavalry  were  still  in  search  of  them 
when  I  left." 

"And  that  is  all,  Wing?" 

"  That  is  all,  sir." 

"  Well,  Wing,  I  hardly  know  for  which  quality  you  de- 
serve the  most  praise  :  for  your  'shrewdness,  or  for  your 
courage.  If  I  have  any  influence  in  the  proper  quarters 
you  shall  receive  a  lieutenant's  commission  for  this  ser- 
vice." 

"  Thanks,  Colonel." 

"And  if  the  Free  Sword  should  really  be  captured  upon 
the  information  given  by  you,  you  will  be  entitled  to  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  the  large  reward  offered  for  his  appre- 
hension." 

"  Your  pardon,  sir.  What  I  did  was  done  for  the  service 
of  my  country  and  for  the  pleasure  of  my  Colonel.  But 
not  to  save  myself  from  perishing  would  I  touch  a  cent  of 
the  blood  money  !  " 

"  Upon  the  whole  I  think  you  are  right,  Wing.  In  your 
place,  I  would  not  touch  the  reward,  certainly.  But  the 
lieutenant's  commission — that  is  an  affair  of  another  color, 
eh,  boy?" 

"Yes,  sir.  I  hope  I  have  earned  that,  or  shall  earn  it  in 
some  nobler  manner  than  spying  out  and  giving  information 
against  outlaws." 

As  they  spoke,  they  emerged  from  the  forest  out  upon  the 
broad  high  road  that  skirted  it. 


208  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

"We  are  now  about  thirty  miles  from  W.,  I  think, 
Wing?  "  said  the  colonel. 

"  Thirty-eight,"  answered  the  boy. 

"So  far?  Well,  at  least  we  shall  reach  the  town  by 
nightfall,"  concluded  the  colonel. 


CHAPTEK  XVI. 

THE    MEETING. 

"  Ho  !  who  rides  there  ? 

The  tramp  of  hoof,  the  flash  of  steel 

The  rebels  round  them  coining." 

AND  they  turned  to  the  right,  and  rode  along  the  edge  of 
the  forest  for  some  four  or  five  miles,  when  they  saw  ap- 
proaching them  from  the  opposite  direction  a  body  of  horse- 
men. 

"That  must  be  a  detachment  of  our  cavalry,  Wing, 
What  do  you  think?" 

"  I  think  it  is,  sir.  But  I  can't  be  sure  yet.  The  clouds 
of  dust  prevent  my  seeing  them  clearly,"  answered  the 
boy. 

"  And  then  they  are  so  far  off.  Let  me  see,"  said  the 
Colonel,  taking  out  his  field-glass  and  "  sighting "  the 
approaching  party. 

"  I  am  nearly  sure  they  are  our  men,  sir,"  said  Hay, 
speaking  for  the  first  time. 

"Yes,  it  is  a  detachment  of  the  cavalry  now  stationed 
at  W.  What  is  afoot,  I  wonder  ?  "  exclaimed  the  Colonel 
putting  spurs  to  his  horse  and  galloping  forward  to  meet 
the  advancing  party. 

The  officer  in  command  of  the  squadron  rode  out  to  receive 
him. 


THE     MEETING.  209 

The  two  met  like  old  friends, 

"  Ho !  Colonel  Kosenthal !  Happy  to  see  you.  Heard  of 
your  promotion  this  morning.  Allow  me  to  congratulate 
— no,  not  you,  but — the  regiment,  on  the  acquisition  of  so 
brave  a  soldier  and  able  an  officer.  I  wish  my  company 
belonged  to  your  regiment,"  said  the  cavalry  officer. 

"  Thanks,  Major  O'lSTeale.     But— what's  out  ?  " 

"  What's  out  ?  The  guerrillas.  They  are  swarming  into 
this  neighborhood  like  seven  year  locusts.  Goldsborough's 
guerrillas  have  made  a  raid  upon  a  party  of  excursionists 
near  the  Point  of  Kocks,  and  robbed  them  of  everything 
even  to  the  clothes  they  stood  up  in — even  to  their  sacred 
linen  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  heard  of  that.  A  squadron  of  cavalry  from  Fort 
W.  is  out  after  them,  but  they  are  encamped  somewhere  near 
the  Black  Bear's  Pass,  far  enough  from  here,"  said  Colonel 
Rosenthal. 

"  Ah!  is  that  so?  Then  there  is  no  chance  of  falling  in 
with  them  hereabouts  ?  " 

"None  in  the  world." 

"  And  the  Free  Sword  has  re-appeared  !  " 

"He  has  joined  issue  with  Groldsborough,  and  their 
forces  are  united." 

"  Are  you  certain  of  that  ?  " 

"  I  am  quite  certain  of  that,  and  I  am  half  suspicious 
that  you  are  out  on  a  wild  goose  chase  if  you  are  after 
guerillas,"  laughed  Colonel  Eosenthal. 

"  Not  quite  so  fast.  You  have  accounted  satisfactorily 
for  the  Free  Sword  and  for  Goldsborough.  But  here  is 
Monck  suddenly  sprung  up  with  all  his  band  from  Heaven 
knows  where.  And  they  are  ravaging  the  country  right 
and  left.  It  is  after  Monck  especially,  and  not  after  the 
other  two,  that  we  are  sent  out,"  said  Major  O'Neale. 

"Monek,    I    think,    will   be    found    somewhere   in   the 
neighborhood  of  the  Black  Bear's   Pass,  where  he  is  ex- 
13 


210  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

pected  to  combine  with  Goldsborough  and  Corsoni  for  a  nen 
raid  on  an  extensive  scale.  Thanks  to  the  courage  and  dis- 
cretion of  my  young  orderly  here,  whom  I  sent  as  a  spy 
into  the  camp  of  the  Free  Sword,  I  am  in  possession  of  all 
their  plans,  which  I  intend  to  reveal  to  General  W.  as  soon 
as  I  get  into  the  town." 

Major  O'Neale  deigned  to  turn  his  eyes  for  a  moment 
upon  the  young  orderly  whom  Col.  Rosen  thai  had  praised  ; 
but  the  question  of  the  guerrillas  was  of  too  absorbing  in- 
terest to  admit  of  a  moment's  wandering  from  the  subject, 
and  so  he  replied  : 

"  Your  information,  obtained  by  so  much  courage  and 
tact,  and  at  so  great  a  risk,  may  be  very  correct.  I  have  no 
doubt  that  Corsoni  and  Goldsborough  may  both  be  at  the 
Black  Bear's  Pass,  and  that  Monck  may  be  on  his  way  to 
join  them ;  but,  in  the  meantime,  it  is  certain  that  he  is 
ravaging  the  country  about  here.  I  suppose  a  score  of 
fugitives  have  rushed  into  W.  within  the  last  twelve  hours 
with  tales  of  Monde's  burnings  and  wastings." 

"  Then  there  can  be  no  mistake  about  his  near  neighbor- 
hood." 

"  None  in  the  world.  But  the  question  is,  where  did  his 
band  spring  from  ?  One  would  think  that  they  had  sprung 
full  grown,  armed  and  equipped,  out  of  the  ground,  like  the 
myrmidons  of  classic  story." 

"  These  vast  forests  afford  too  good  a  cover  for  these 
bandits.  They  should  all  be  levelled,"  said  Colonel 
Rosenthal. 

"  But  what  a  Herculean  labor.  And  think  how  many  of 
them  have  been  levelled — —  But  you,  Colonel,  you  ara 
going  on  to  W.  ?  " 

"  Of  course." 

"And  with  only  these  two  orderlies  by  way  of  a  body 
guard  ? 

"  Just  as  you  see." 


THE      MEETING.  211 

"I  strongly  advise  you  not  to  do  so.  The  road  is 
certainly  very  unsafe,"  said  Major  O'Neale. 

"  It  is  the  road  you  have  just  passed  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"And  you  saw  nothing  of  these  reported  guerrillas?" 

"  No — not  a  hair  !  But  then  they  would  not  be  apt  to 
show  themselves  to  a  force  like  ours.  But  you  and  your 
two  orderlies,  Colonel,  would  be  a  great  temptation  to  them. 
If  I  might  do  so,  I  should  strongly  urge  you  not  to  go  for- 
ward, but  to  turn  back  with  us  !  " 

"I  am  ordered  to  proceed  to  W.  immediately  to  take 
command  of  my  regiment,  and  I  must-  go  on,"  said  Colonel 
Rosenthal,  decisively. 

"  Then  allow  me  to  detail  a  portion  of  my  men  to  guard 
you  on  your  way,  Colonel." 

"  Not  on  any  account.  It  would  be  very  unwise  for  you 
to  do  so ;  for  the  withdrawal  of  such  a  number  of  your  men 
as  could  be  of  any  sort  of  use  to  me,  in  case  of  an  encoun- 
ter with  Monck,  would  so  weaken  your  force  as  to  leave  it 
liable  to  capture.  No,  I  must  go  on  with  my  boys  and  trust 
to  Providence,"  said  Colonel  Eosenthal. 

Major  O'Neale  still  respectfully  remonstrated,  but  with 
little  effect. 

"  If  you  were  to  divide  your  men  you  would  render  your 
own  force  inefficient,  without  affording  me  adequate  protec- 
tion," said  Colonel  Rosenthal. 

And  so  the  friends  parted — each  going  opposite  ways — 
Major  O'Neale  and  his  command  towards  the  ridge,  and 
Colonel  Rosenthal  and  his  orderlies  towards  W. 

The  colonel  with  his  attendants  rode  on  a  mile  or  two,  and 
then,  as  the  sun  was  sinking  to  his  setting,  they  entered  an 
arm  of  the  forest. 

"  After  all,  I  doubt  whether  we  shall  reach  W.  before 
dark.  We  must  be  still  twenty-five  miles  off,"  remarked 
Colonel  Rosenthal. 


212  HOW      HE      WON     HER. 

"  Sir,  we  are  thirty,"  answered  Wing. 
"  These  Virginia  miles  are  certainly  the  longest  I  evel 
travelled,"  laughed  Colonel  Eosenthal. 

They  went  on,  their  path  becoming  narrower  and  more 
obstructed  as  they  penetrated  farther  and  farther  into  the 
depths  of  the  forest.  Sunset  faded  into  twilight  and  twi- 
light deepened  into  night.  And  the  road  became  so  narrow 
and  obstructed  that  they  had  to  ride  in  single  file — Wing 
going  before,  Colonel  Eosenthal  riding  in  the  middle  and 
Hay  bringing  up  the  rear.  So  they  proceeded  slowly  and 
silently  for  some  distance,  until  at  length  Colonel  Eosenthal 
drawing  rein,  called  to  his  advance  guard  : 
"  Wing ! " 
"Yes,  sir." 

"  Fall  behind,  my  boy  !  If  we  are  to  have  the  honor  of 
meeting  Major  Monck,  or  any  of  his  men,  I  would  prefer 
to  be  '  to  the  fore '  to  welcome  them. 

The  young  orderly  obeyed  promptly,  though  unwillingly 
enough,  for  he  would  have  preferred  to  make  of  his  own 
person  a  shield  and  breastplate  to  guard  his  colonel's 
precious  life. 

"  I  say,  Wing,"  whispered  young  Hay,  as  once  more  they 
rode  nearly  side  by  side,  "this  is  a  demon  of  a  dark  road 
to  meet  tho  guerrillas  in  ! " 
"  So  it  is,"  admitted  Wing. 
"  How  far  are  we  from  W.  now  ?  " 
"  About  twenty-two  miles." 
"  When  does  the  moon  rise,  do  you  know  ?  " 
"  About  nine  o'clock." 

"  And  it  is  not  more  than  seven  now.  And  we  have  two 
hours  of  black  darkness  before  us." 

"  Oh,  we  shall  get  into  W.  by  the  time  the  moon  rises." 
"And  who  will  thank  the  moon  for  rising  then?     We 
want  light  now  1 " 

"  Well  we  have  light.  I  am  sure  the  stars  are  coming 
out  very  brightly,"  said  Wing,  encouragingly. 


THE     MEETING.  213 

But  Hay  declined  to  be  encouraged. 

"  Oh,  yes  !  the  stars  are  bright  enough — what  we  can  see 
of  them  through  the  upper  branches  of  these  thick  cedar 
trees,"  grumbled  Hay. 

"Look,"  said  Wing,  as  they  were  passing  through  a 
fordable  stream  that  crossed  their  path — "  look  how  clearly 
the  stars  are  reflected  in  the  water  under  our  feet !  and 
then  tell  me  if  you  do  not  see  enough  of  them  and  if  they 
are  not  bright." 

"  Well,  I  suppose  our  eyes  are  getting  used  to  the  dark- 
ness, and  we  can  see  better  now,  that  is  all,"  grumbled 
Hay. 

After  crossing  the  stream,  they  found  the  forest  road  a 
little  clearer,  so  that  Wing  was  enabled  to  ride  up  side  by 
side  with  his  colonel. 

"  We  are  not  more  than  twenty  miles  from  W.  now,  sir," 
said  the  boy,  cheerfully. 

"  Twenty  Virginia  miles,  Wing,  which  means  twenty-five 
of  any  other  sort,"  replied  the  colonel. 

'•'Hist!  what  is  that?"  cried  Wing,  in  a  low,  breathless 
voice. 

"  What  ?  "  inquired  the  colonel,  drawing  rein. 

il  Where  ?  "  questioned  Hay,  riding  up. 

"  That  glittering  object  on  the  left  hand  of  the  road ! — Oh, 
I  see  what  it  is  now !  "  exclaimed  Wing. 

And  they  all  looked  and  saw — not  only  one  bayonet,  but 
twenty  or  thirty,  projecting  from  the  thicket  each  side  of 
the  road,  and  gleaming  faintly  in  the  starlight. 

"  It  is  the  guerrilla  band.  Retreat !  "  cried  Colonel  Ros- 
enthal,  raising  his  hand  and  turning  his  horse's  head.  His 
two  followers  also  turned. 

But  their  road  in  the  rear  was  bristling  each  side  with 
bayonets.  Retreat  was  cut  off. 

"Dash  forward,  then  !"  exclaimed  Colonel  Rosenthal, 
drawing  his  sword,  wheeling,  and  putting  spurs  to  his 
horse. 


214  HOW     HE     WON     HEE. 

"HALT,  you  cursed  Yankees  !  "  yelled  a  guerrilla,  leaping 
into  the  middle  of  the  road,  followed  by  all  his  band,  who 
closed  in  upon  the  three  travellers,  surrounding  them  with 
a  fence  of  fixed  bayonets. 

Of  course  the  travellers  had  no  other  alternative  than  to 
halt. 

"  Surrender,  blast  you  !  "  thundered  the  same  voice  that 
had  ordered  the  halt. 

"  Bring  your  leader  here,  or  conduct  us  to  his  presence," 
said  Colonel  Kosenthal,  sternly. 

"  I  am  the  leader  of  this  band,  curse  you !  Hand  me 
your  sword  before  I  wrench  it  out  of  your  hand  ! "  roared 
the  brute. 

"  I  think  you  would  find  that  a  rather  difficult  feat  to 
perform,  my  friend,"  said  the  colonel,  grasping  his  weapon 
with  a  firmer  hold,  and  frowning  so  sternly  that  the  guer- 
rilla, surrounded  by  his  band  as  he  was,  quailed  before  the 
soldier. 

"  Will  you  hand  me  your  sword,  dash  you  ?  "  thundered 
the  bully,  at  length  plucking  up  a  spirit. 

tl  No — not  to  3rou  !  I  ordered  you  to  take  me  to  your 
chief,  or  to  bring  him  to  me,"  said  Colonel  Kosenthal, 
firmly. 

"  And  who  are  you,  curse  you,  to  give  orders  here  ?  "  de- 
manded the  guerrilla. 

"  I  am  one  who  will  be  obeyed,"  answered  the  colonel. 

The  guerrilla  replied  by  a  volley  of  oaths  which  were, 
however,  interrupted  by  another  member  of  the  band,  who 
came  suddenly  upon  the  scene,  and  "  spoke  as  one  having 
authority." 

"  Crowfield,  what  is  the  meaning  of  this  ?  " 

"  It  is  this  blasted  Yankee  prisoner,  who  won't  give  up 
his  sword  until  I  tear  it  from  his  beastly  hands.  Demands 
to  be  taken  before  Major  Monck,  or  to  have  Major  Monck 
brought  to  him — devil  burn  him  !  "  answered  the  savage. 


THE     MEETING.  215 

"  Crowfield,  you  are  wrong.  This  is  Colonel  Rosenthal, 
and  Major  Monck's  orders  were  strict,  that  when  he  should 
be  taken,  he  should  be  treated  with  courtesy,  and  conducted 
at  once  to  his  head  quarters." 

"  Oh,  yes  !  that's  the  way  with  the  major  !  He'll  take  a 
prisoner,  feast  a  prisoner,  and  then  hang  a  prisoner ;  but  all 
in  courtesy  !  Oh,  yes !  whatever  the  major  does  is  always 
done  in  courtesy.  As  for  me,  I'd  rather  blast  a  Yankee  and 
let  him  go,  than  bless  him  and  hang  him,  as  our  major  does. 
You'll  find  worse  fellows  in  the  world  than  I  am,  if  you 
wouldn't  give  me  up  your  sword,  Colonel  Prisoner,"  said 
the  guerrilla,  nodding  to  Colonel  Rosenthal. 

"  Sergeant  Crowfield,  you  are  drunk !  and  I'll  give  you 
until  four  o'clock  to-morrow  morning  to  get  sober  in  ! " 

"  Captain  Bannister,  you're  a  heap  drunker  'n  I  am,  and 
BO  I'll  give  you  until  four  o'clock  to-morrow  afternoon  to  get 
sober  in  ! w 

"  You  are  under  arrest,  sir.  Blake !  take  his  musket  and 
look  after  him,"  said  the  angry  officer. 

When  these  orders  were  obeyed,  Captain  Bannister 
turned  to  the  prisoner  and  said : 

"  Colonel  Rosenthal,  we  will  take  you  to  Major  Monck's 
head  quarters  that  are  only  about  three  miles  from  this 
spot." 

Colonel  Rosenthal  bowed  gravely  and  silently. 

The  guerrilla  captain  then  placed  a  guard  around  the 
prisoners,  and  marshalled  his  band,  and  gave  the  order  to 
march. 

The  body,  consisting  of  about  sixtjr  well-armed  men, 
moved  forward  upon  the  same  road  leading  towards  W.,  for 
some  three  quarters  of  a  mile,  and  struck  into  a  path  on  the 
right  hand  side  of  their  way  winding  into  the  very  inner- 
most recesses  of  the  wilderness. 

Colonel  Rosenthnl  rode  on  without  exchanging  a  word 
with  one  of  his  ccuard. 


216  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

Wing  and  Hay  conversed  in,  whispers  whenever  they 
could  do  so  with  impunity. 

"  Here's  a  go  !  "  muttered  Hay.  "  I  wish  the  colonel 
had  taken  Major  O'Neale's  advice  ;ind  turned  back  with  the 
cavalry." 

"  So  do  not  I.  The  gallant  colonel  had  done  his  duty, 
and  the  result  is  with  the  Lord,"  answered  Wing. 

"  Yes,  I  know.  But  this  Monck  doesn't  care  for  Lord 
or  devil.  He  is  as  much  worse  than  the  Free  Sword  as  an 
assassin  is  worse  than  a  mere  duellist.  He  is  the  coldest 
blooded  demon  alive  !  You  will  never  see  him  excited ; 
but  he  has  been  known  to  hang  a  prisoner  before  the  door 
of  his  quarters,  and  sit  down  and  eat  his  breakfast  while 
enjoying  a  full  view  of  the  death  agonies  of  the  hanging  and 
struggling  victim  ! '' 

"  May  Heaven  protect  and  deliver  our  colonel ! "  ex- 
claimed Wing,  clasping  his  hands  in  prayer. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
THE  GUERRILLA'S  ENCAMPMENT. 

Into  a  forest  far  they  thence  him  led, 

Where  was  their  dwelling  in  a  plesisant  shade, 
.  With  mountains  round  about  environed, 

And  mighty  woods  which  did  the  valley  shade, 
And  like  a  stately  theatre  it  made, 

Spreading  itself  into  a  spacious  plain; 
And  in  the  midst  a  little  river  played 

Amongst  the  pumy  stones  and  seemed  to  'plain 
"With  gentle  murmur  that  his  course  they  did  restrain.— EPENSSK. 

THE  forest  was  almost  impenetrably  thick  and  intensely 
dark.  The  closely  intermingling  boughs  overhead  shut  out 
every  ray  of  starlight.  And  the  moon  had  not  yet  risen. 
The  darkness,  the  stillness  and  the  silence  of  this  wilderness 
was  very  solemn  and  almost  appalling  and  overpowering. 
Iso  object  could  be  seen  ;  they  moved  through  thickest  night 


THE    GUERRILLA'S    ENCAMPMENT.     217 

and  blackest  shadow ;  nothing  could  be  felt  but  the  damp- 
ness  of  the  air  and  the  cold  touch  of  the  clustering  leaves, 
and  no  sound  could  be  heard  but  the  muffled  tread  of  their 
horses'  hoofs,  the  hoarse  hoot  of  an  owl,  or  the  shrill  cry  of 
the  whippowil. 

Their  progress  through  the  forest  was  necessarily  very 
slow,  for  the  band  was  partly  on  foot,  and  the  cavalry 
had  to  accomodate  its  pace  to  the  infantry,  whom  it  did  not 
wish  to  leave  behind.  The  path  also  was  often  so  narrow 
and  obstructed  that  they  had  to  march  in  single  file,  Captain 
Bannister  leading  the  way,  followed  by  Colonel  Eosenthal 
and  a  guard  and  young  Wing,  and  another  guard  and  Hay, 
and  then  the  horse  and  lastly  the  foot. 

After  marching  on  in  this  tedious  manner  for  nearly  forty 
minutes,  they  came  suddenly  upon  a  picket  guard  so  well  con- 
cealed that  though  they — the  pickets — could  command  the 
approach  to  their  station,  no  one  not  familiar  with  their 
cover  could  suspect  their  presence  there. 

"  All  in  the  darkness,  the  arriving  band  was  challenged 
with  the  usual : 

"  Who  goes  there  ?  " 

Captain  Bannister  answered  and  gave  the  pass-word  :  and 
then  exclaimed  : 

"  You  are  as  dark  as  the  Stygian  lake  here,  Griffin  ! 

What  the  d do  you  mean  by  it  ?  I  had  nearly  ridden 

over  you." 

"  The  orders  were  to  show  no  lights,  Captain." 

«  Humph  !     What  is  the  news,  Griffin  ?  " 

11  Wiley  has  captured  a  sutler's  wagon  with  a  lot  of 
liquor  and  provisions,  Captain.  The  major  will  feast  you 
all  to-night  and  give  the  men  double  rations,  and  to-morrow 
we  are  to  have  double  rations  of  food  and  grog  also." 

"  That  is  good  news  indeed,  Griffin,  to  men  who  have 
been  on  short  commons  as  long  as  we  have." 

"  Hope  you've  had  success,  Captain.  So  dark  I  can't  see 
who  is  with  you,  sir." 


218  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

"  Yes,  we  have  secured  the  rich  prize  we  went  to  seek. 
Good  night,  Griffin,"  said  Bannister,  passing  on  his  way,  fol- 
lowed by  all  his  band. 

The  approach  to  Monck's  camp  was  very  strongly  pick- 
eted ;  they  passed  several  other  guards,  but  all  concealed  in 
thick  wood  and  deep  darkness,  out  of  which  they  watched 
and  listened  like  crouching  tigers  for  their  prey. 

At  length  the  band  emerged  from  the  forest  and  came 
upon  the  deep  and  narrow  river,  beyond  which  arose  a 
nearly  perpendicular  range  of  mountains,  dimly  seen  in  the 
star-light. 

Here  the  officer  in  command  of  the  party  halted  and 
took  a  whistle  from  his  pocket  and  blew  a  shrill  blast. 

It  was  answered  from  the  other  side  ;  and  almost  immedi- 
ately the  plash  of  oars  was  heard,  and  a  ferry-boat  was  seen 
to  move  across  the  water. 

It  was  little  better  than  a  scow ;  but  it  accommodated  the 
three  prisoners  with  their  immediate  guard.  When  they 
were  all  in  the  boat,  Captain  Bannister  told  the  ferryman  to 
make  haste  and  put  them  across  the  river ;  and  the  ferry- 
man and  his  assistants  promptly  obeyed,  laying  themselves 
to  their  oars  with  good  will. 

While  they  were  crossing  the  captain  questioned  the 
ferryman ; 

"  What  news  in  the  camp,  Home  ?  " 

"  Well,  sir,  Sergeant  Wiley  and  about  thirty  of  the  men 
surprised  a  sutler's  wagon  that  was  a  straggling  behind  its 
train,  and  captured  it,  with  three  prisoners  and  a  quantity 
of  stores.  All  the  men  but  the  pickets  had  double  rations. 
The  major  wouldn't  give  them  double  because  he  wanted 
them  to  be  very  sharp  to-night ;  but  to-morrow  they  are  to 
have  double  grog  as  well  as  double  rations." 

"  Yes — I  heard  about  that.     Anything  else  ?  " 

"Well,  sir,  Captain  Miller  has  gone  out  with  his  company 
to  waylay  a  train  of  army  wagons  as  our  scouts  report  to  be 


THE    GUERRILLA'S    ENCAMPMENT.     219 

crossing  the  valley,  on  their  way  to  W. ;  but  he  is  not  ex- 
pected back  to-night." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  hear  that.  I  think  it  was  a  bad  move. 
The  valley  is  all  up,  bristling  with  Yankee  rifles.  A  little 
devil' of  a  spy  got  into  the  camp  of  the  Free  Sword,  and 
afterwards  ran  away  and  betrayed  his  retreat  to  the  Yan- 
kees. He  had  to  evacuate  his  camp  in  great  haste." 

"  What  a  blasted  bit  of  bad  luck  !  "  exclaimed  the  ferry- 
man. 

"  Yes ;  and  that  is  not  all.  G-oldsborough — well,  he's  not 
the  first  great  soldier  that  ever  lost  the  world  for  a  woman — 
Goldsborough,  instigated  by  the  demon,  made  a  dash  across 
the  river  below  the  Point  of  Rocks  and  surprised  a  picnic 
party  for  no  other  purpose  than  to  carry  off  a  certain  girl." 

"  What  a  blamed  fool — begging  you  pardon,  Captain  ! " 

"  Yes,  he  was  all  that.  And,  the  result  of  all  this  is, 
that  there  are  no  less  than  three  companies  of  cavalry  out  in 
search  of  us  in  different  directions.  The  chances  are  that 
Miller  will  meet  with  some  of  them." 

As  Captain  Bannister  spoke  the  boat  grated  upon  the 
sands  of  the  shore,  and  the  party  prepared  to  land. 

The  captain  walked  his  horse  out  first,  and  was  followed 
by  the  others  of  the  party  in  the  same  manner. 

Leaving  the  ferryman  to  go  back  after  the  remainder  of 
the  band,  Captain  Bannister  led  his  party  by  a  steep, 
narrow  and  winding  path  up  the  mountain  side,  passing 
many  picket  guards,  by  whom  they  were  challenged,  and  to 
whom  he  gave  the  countersign. 

As  they  reached  the  summit,  the  moon,  large,  round,  and 
red  as  a  ball  of  fire,  was  rising  behind  a  dark,  green  cedar 
wood  in  the  valley  before  them. 

"  There  are  the  head  quarters  of  Major  Monck,"  said  the 
captain  to  his  prisoner,  pointing  down  into  the  thickly 
wooded  valley. 

He  then  led  the  way  down  this  side  of  the  mountain  by 


220  HOW      HE     WON     HEK. 

a  path  as  steep,  narrow  and  winding  as  that  by  which  they 
had  ascended  on  the  other  side,  and  they  met  as  many 
pickets  as  before. 

Arrived  at  the  foot  of  the  precipice,  the  captain  led  the 
way  into  the  cedar  thicket,  "  where  path  there  was  none  ;  " 
but  by  some  occult  method  of  his  own,  or  some  signs  unin- 
telligible to  the  uninitiated,  he  took  his  party  on  until  they 
came  to  a  low  worm-fence  surrounding  a  clearing  in  the 
very  centre  of  the  woods. 

At  regular  intervals  of  space  sentinels  marched  to  and  fro 
before  this  fence. 

One  of  them  challenged  Captain  Bannister,  who  gave  the 
countersign,  and  immediately  passed  with  his  party  through 
the  gate. 

Within  the  rude  enclosure,  which  seemed  to  have  been  an 
old  field,  there  was  a  busy,  picturesque,  enlivening  scene. 

Camp  fires  were  scattered  all  over  the  area,  and  around 
them  were  grouped  the  men — some  cooking  their  rations  ; 
some  eating  their  suppers  ;  some  drinking  whiskey,  smoking 
pipes,  and  playing  cards,  and  some  lying  flat  upon  their 
stomachs,  with  their  limbs  extended,  their  elbows  resting 
on  the  ground,  and  their  heads  bowed  upon  their  hands, 
while,  by  the  light  of  the  blazing  pine-knots,  they  studied 
the  pictorial  papers  which  were  a  part  of  the  plunder  that 
had  been  taken  from  the  captured  sutler's  wagon. 

Through  this  crowd  the  captain  conducted  his  party 
towards  an  old,  common-looking  and  rather  dilapidated 
farm-house  that  stood  among  its  out-buildings  at  the  farther 
end  of  the  area.  Beyond  these  buildings  groups  of  cows 
and  horses  might  be  dimly  seen. 

The  whole  place  was  a  combination  of  a  ruined  farm  and 
a  military  encampment. 

The  house  itself,  on  nearer  approach,  was  seen  to  be  a 
large,  rude  wooden  building  of  one  story,  with  a  very  steep 
roof,  and  with  a  rough  piazza  running  the  whole  length  of 


THE    GUERRILLA'S    ENCAMPMENT.     221 

the  front.  One  large  door,  with  a  window  on  each  side, 
opened  upon  this.  Here  also  were  groups  of  men  lounging 
on  the  steps  and  in  the  corners,  while  before  the  door  a 
sentinel  stood  guard. 

Captain  Bannister  dismounted,  and  signed  to  his 
prisoners  to  do  the  same.  Then  he  called  a  man  to  take 
the  horses,  and  beckoned  the  prisoners  to  follow  him. 

He  led  them  by  the  front  door  into  a  large  passage  run- 
ning through  to  the  back  of  the  house,  and  from  which 
other  doors  opened  leading  into  rooms  on  the  right  and  left. 

This  passage  was  dimly  lighted  by  a  tallow  candle,  stuck 
into  a  tin  sconce  nailed  against  the  wall. 

Several  soldiers  were  lounging  here,  and  three  or  four 
were  guarding  a  small  group  of  prisoners  at  the  farther  end 
of  the  place. 

A  sentinel  stood  before  the  second  door  on  the  left  hand. 

"  Remain  here  with  your  attendants  if  you  please,  Col- 
onel, while  I  go  in  and  make  my  report  to  my  major,"  said 
Captain  Bannister,  politely  addressing  his  captive. 

Then  turning  to  some  of  the  lounging  soldiers,  he  called 
them  to  come  and  guard  these  prisoners. 

Four  of  the  men  approached  at  his  bidding,  and  gathered 
around  Colonel  Eosenthal  and  his  young  orderlies. 

Meanwhile  the  captain  entered  the  second  door  on  the 
left,  which  was  guarded  by  a  sentinel,  and  which  was  prob- 
ably the  office  of  the  guerrilla  chief. 

Colonel  Eosenthal,  left  with  his  party,  looked  around 
apon  the  contracted  scene,  noticed  the  dilapidated  walls, 
the  uneven  floor,  the  ricketty  doors  of  the  hall,  and  the 
rugged,  wretched,  famished  aspect  of  its  guerrilla  occupants. 

Then  he  turned  his  eyes  towards  the  extreme  back  of  the 
place,  where,  in  a  dark  corner,  were  the  three  other  prisoners, 
with  their  guard  about  them. 

Two  of  these  prisoners  were  men,  and  they  were  standing 
up,  and  even  in  this  obscure  light,  Colonel  Eosenthal 


222  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

thought  he  could  recognize  something  familiar  in  the  aspect 
of  the  taller  of  these  men. 

The  third  prisoner  was  a  woman,  and  was  seated  on  the 
ground,  with  her  apron  thrown  over  her  head. 

While  Justin  was  still  looking  at  the  group,  and  trying 
to  remember  who  the  tall  man  might  be,  the  latter  stooped 
and  whispered  to  the  woman,  who  then  suddenly  threw  her 
apron  down  and  turned  her  head. 

Justin  was  standing  where  the  faint  light  of  the  candle 
in  the  sconce  fell  upon  him,  and,  though  he  could  not  dis- 
tinctly see  the  other  prisoners  in  their  obscure  corner,  they 
could  see  him  quite  plainly. 

So,  the  instant  after  the  woman  had  turned  her  head 
towards  him,  she  leaped  up  and  sprang  past  her  guards 
before  they  could  prevent  her,  and  almost  threw  herself  into 
Justin's  arms,  exclaiming  frantically: 

"  Okh,  glory  be  to  the  Lord !  is  it  yourself,  Mr.  Rosen- 
thai,  dear  ? — And  how  is  Miss  Conyers,  sure  ?  " 

"  JUDITH  !  "  cried  Justin,  in  unbounded  astonishment. 

"  Och,  yis ;  it's  meself,  sure,  Lorrd  kape  me  !  " 

"I  am  glad  and  sorry  to  see  you,  my  girl.  How  came 
you  here  ?  "  inquired  Justin. 

"  And  is  it  how  came  I  here  ?  Sure  didn't  thim  bastes 
iv  gorrillas — divil  burn  thim,  for  they're  worse  nor  the 
pirates  thiinselves — didn't  they  saize  our  wagon,  and  rob  us 
iv  every  blessed  thing  we  possessed  in  the  world,  and  thin 
bring  us  here  ?  That  the  Lorrd  may  smite  thim ! "  ex- 
claimed Judith,  fervently. 

"Then  you  belonged  to  that  sutler's  wagon  which  was 
captured  ?  "  inquired  Justin. 

"  First  and  foremost,  I  belonged  to  the  divil  himself,  or  I 
niver  would  be  torminted  as  I  am  ! "  said  Judith,  impati- 
ently. 

"  But  you  were  in  the  sutler's  wagon,  were  you  not  ? " 
again  inquired  Justin. 


THE    GUERRILLA'S    ENCAMPMENT.     223 

"  Oh,  ay,  yes  ;  bad  luck  to  it,  I  was  in  the  sutler's  wagon 
whin  thim  hay  thins  saized  it.  And  be  the  same  token,  I 
hope  you've  come  with  your  army  to  hang  ivery  one  iv 
thim  ! " 

"  Why,  Judith,  what  are  you  thinking  of,  my  girl  ? 
Don't  you  see  that  I  am  a  prisoner  like  yourself?  "  said 
Justin. 

"  You  a  prisoner !  Sure  the  thaives  niver  had  the  im- 
pudence to  make  you  a  prisoner  ?  "  exclaimed  Judith,  in 
consternation. 

"  It  is  as  you  see,  my  girl,"  answered  Colonel  Rosenthal, 
smiling  in  spite  of  his  misfortunes. 

"  Thin  the  world  must  be  coming  to  an  ind  !  And  serve 
it  right ;  for  it's  a  baste  iv  a  world  altogether,  where  a 
Christian  can't  sail  upon  the  say  without  the  fear  iv  ship- 
wrecks, and  desert  islands,  and  say-fights,  and  pirates,  and 
the  like ;  and  can't  travel  upon  the  land  itself  without  fall- 
ing among  thaives  !  "  exclaimed  the  woman. 

"But,  Judith,  my  girl,  how  did  you  happen  to  be  among 
the  sutlers  ?  "  inquired  Justin. 

"  D'ye  see  me  gay  Tom  there,  with  his  head  bound  Tip  ? 
He  is  always  getting  his  crown  cracked,  is  me  gay  Tom. 
If  he  hadn't  a  hard  Scotch  head,  he'd  been  dead  long  ago. 
D'ye  see  him,  mind  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  Justin,  now  turning  to  look  again  at  the 
tall  man,  and  recognizing  McAlpine. 

"  Well,  sure,  me  gay  Tom,  bad  luck  to  his  Scotch  greedi- 
ness for  money,  must  turn  sutler,  so  he  must.  And  so  that 
was  the  way  I  came  to  be  a-mong  them  ;  for  ye  didn't  think 
I  was  going  to  lave  him  to  his  own  devices  so  far  as  to  let 
him  go  alone,  did  ye  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  laughed  Justin  ;  "  but  how  came  you  to 
be  captured  ?  " 

"  Sure  the  divil  got-  into  the  horses,  and  we  couldn't  make 
them  go  along,  and  keep  up  with  the  train  j  and  we  fell 


224  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

behind !  That  was  how  it  was,  let  alone  the  fact  that  if 
there  is  any  sort  iv  a  misfortune  at  all  at  all,  going  round, 
meself  i-s  always  sure  to  fall  into  it !  Sure  and  wasn't  I 
shipwrecked,  and  left  for  dead  on  a  baste  iv  an  island? 
And  didn't  I  meet  with  thim  haythen  iv  pirates,  and  get 
into  a  say  fight  ?  And  don't  it  follow  in  coorse  that  whin  I 
took  to  the  suttling  line  iv  business  I  should  fall  among 
thaives?  Sure  it's  me  luck! — Tom!  bad  manners  to  ye  ! 
why  don't  ye  come  and  spake  to  the  gentleman  ?  "  inquired 
Judith,  suddenly  breaking  off  from  her  discourse,  and  ad- 
dressing her  husband. 

McAlpine,  nodding  and  growling  something  in  reply, 
made  a  step  forward  to  comply  with  this  suggestion.  But 
the  guard  who  had  permitted  the  woman  to  talk  to  the  new 
prisoner,  would  on  no  account  allow  the  man  to  do  so,  and 
Judith's  gay  Tom  had  to  keep  his  place. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


The  fellow  was  a  sordid  soul 

Such  as  does  murder  for  a  meed; 
Who,  but  of  fear,  knows  no  control, 
Because  his  conscience,  seared  and  foul, 

tfeels  not  the  import  of  his  deed; 
One  whose  brute  feeling  ne'er  aspires 
Beyond  his  own  more  brute  desires. 
Such  tools  the  Tempter  ever  needs 
To  do  the  savage  at  of  deeds, 
For  them  no  vision'd  terrors  daunt, 
Their  nights  no  fancied  spectres  haunt. — SCOTT. 

AT  this  moment  Captain  Bannister  came  out  of  Monck's 
room,  and  addressing  his  prisoner,  said  : 

"  Major  Monck  is  not  prepared  to  see  you  this  evening. 
You  will  be  in  my  charge  for  the  night,  and  I  will  try  to 
make  your  captivity  as  agreeable  as  may  be  consistent  with 
my  duty  and  your  safety." 


M  C  N  C  K  .  225 

Justin  bowed  in  acknowledgment  of  this  courtesy,  but 
made  no  other  answer. 

The  captain  then  dismissed  the  guard  from  his  own  three 
prisoners,  and  requested  the  latter  to  follow  him. 

He  opened  a  door  on  the  right  hand  of  the  hall,  and  im- 
mediately opposite  Monck's  door,  and  led  them  into  a 
large,  square  room,  with  a  low  ceiling  and  bare  walls, 
windows  and  floor. 

It  was  poorly  furnished  with  a  camp  bedstead,  a  pine 
table,  and  half  a  dozen  three-legged  stools,  all  of  which 
seemed  to  be  the  workmanship  of  an  amateur  carpenter, 
and  with  an  old  mahogany  beaufet,  a  worm-eaten  walnut 
wash-stand  and  a  dilapidated  arm-chair  that  appeared  to  be 
a  part  of  the  original  furniture  of  the  farmhouse,  left 
behind  by  the  owners  as  too  worthless  to  carry  away. 

The  huge  fireplace  contained  nothing  but  charcoal  and 
ashes  ;  the  fire  had  gone  out  hours  before. 

"  Bring  some  kindling  wood  here  quickly,  Ellis,  and  if 
there  is  none  handy,  take  one  of  the  back  shutters  off  the 
hinges,  and  split  it  up.  We  must  have  a  fire  here  directly. 
This  place  is  as  damp  and  musty  as  a  vault.  And  here ! 
Tell  Thomas  we  want  supper  immediately,"  were  the  orders 
issued  by  Captain  Bannister  to  his  orderly,  as  they  all  en- 
tered the  dreary  room. 

"  Sit  down,  Colonel  Rosenthal,"  he  continued,  pushing  a 
dilapidated  arm-chair  towards  his  prisoner  guest.  "  And 
boys,  you  needn't  stand  on  my  account.  Find  stools  and 
seat  yourselves,"  he  added,  addressing  Wing  and  Hay. 

He  himself  stood  with  his  back  leaning  against  the  fire- 
less  chimney. 

Very  soon  the  man  called  Ellis  entered  with  his  arms  full 
of  kindling  wood,  that  seemed  to  be  the  fragments  of  a 
broken  up  green  door  or  shutter. 

A  fire  was  soon  lighted,  and  its  cheerful  blaze  illumined 
the  whole  room. 
14 


22b  H  o  w     ii  K    w  o  -N-    ii  i: n . 

"Now  supper  as  soon  as  possible,  Ellis,"  said  the  captain, 
as  he  stood  and  spread  his  hands  oefore  the  flame. 

"Thomas  is  getting  it  ready  as  fast  as  he  can,  sir'' 
answered  the  man. 

"  What  have  you  got  to  give  us  ?  " 

"Chickens  a-nd  ducks,  sir;  brought  away  from  a  Union 
hen-house  by  Atkins  aud  some  of  our  boys  to-day,  and  ham, 
and  tea,  and  coffee,  and  sugar,  got  along  with  the  sutler's 
stores,"  said  the  man,  with  a  low,  half  uttered  chuckle. 

"Come,  we  shall  fare  sumptuously!"  laughed  Bannister. 
"  But  here,  Ellis,  this  light  wood  will  soon  burn  out. 
Bring  in  one  or  twro  heavy  green  logs,  and  throw  them  on 
to  keep  the  fire,"  he  added. 

The  man  left  the  room  to  obey,  and  presently  returned 
with  the  logs,  which  he  threw  upon  the  fire. 

He  was  soon  followed  by  another  man  with  a  dish  of 
fried  chickens  in  one  hand,  and  a  plate  of  broiled  ham  in 
the  other,  both  of  which  he  set  upon  the  table. 

"We  have  to  dispense  with  table-cloths  in  camp,  Colo- 
nel," said  Bannister,  laughing,  as  he  stood  and  arranged 
the  two  dishes  to  his  liking. 

Meantime  the  cook  made  several  journeys  to  and  from  the 
room,  during  which  he  placed  upon  the  table  bread,  biscuits, 
butter,  tea,  coffee,  sugar,  condensed  milk,  cheese,  and,  last 
and  best  of  all — SALT. 

"  Heaven !  how  thankful  to  fate  I  am  for  that  sutler's 
wagon,  even  if  it  had  furnished  us  with  nothing  but  salt ! 
Do  you  know,  Colonel,  that  one  of  the  greatest  privations 
of  our  lives  is  the  lack  of  that  once  cheap  and  common  nec- 
essary of  life,  table  salt !  The  river  supplies  us  with  fish, 
the  forests  with  game,  the  farms  with  meat,  poultry,  eggs, 
vegetables,  and  breadstuffs  ;  but  where — oh  !  where  are  we 
to  obtain  a  continuous  supply  of  salt  ?  One  of  our  boys, 
a  prisoner  in  the  old  Capitol  at  Washington,  was  permitted 
to  write  home  to  his  friends.  He  wrote:  'Everything  is 


M  O  N  C  K  .  £27 

d d  here  except  in  one  respect :  wt  have  salt  in  our 

soup ! '  That  letter  was  suppressed  when  it  reached  our 
camp.  That  one  line  would  have  formed  much  too  great  a 
temptation  for  our  men  to  permit  themselves  to  he  taken 
prisoners,  so  that  they  might  get  salt  to  their  soup  !  But 
come,  Colonel,  while  I  talk  the  coffee  is  cooling.  Sit  up,  sit 
up,  and  try  to  make  the  best  of  matters  by  making  a  good 
meal,"  said  Captain  Bannister ;  and  with  this  "  grace 
before  meat,"  he  seated  himself  at  the  table  and  began  to 
help  his  prisoner  guest. 

Justin,  notwithstanding  his  misfortunes,  really  did  make 
a  good  meal,  though  not  a  very  merry  one ;  for  he  was  hun- 
gry, he  was  also  tired,  and  likewise  a  little  sulky,  as  indeed 
what  prisoner  would  not  be  ? 

When  the  two  officers  had  supped  and  were  satisfied,  the 
two  boys,  Wing  and  Hay,  were  supplied  with  supper. 
After  which  the  camp  service  was  cleared  away  by  Ellis 
and  Thomas. 

"  I  can  offer  you  half  my  hard  bed,  Colonel ;  but  the 
boys  will  have  to  take  each  a  blanket  and  content  them- 
selves with  the  bare  floor,"  said  Captain  Bannister. 

Again  Justin  bowed  in  silence.  He  could  feed,  because 
feeding  is  one  of  the  absolute  necessities  of  life ;  but  he 
could  not  converse  complacently  with  his  captor. 

The  programme  pointed  out  by  Bannister  was  followed. 

Justin  Rosenthal  laid  down  to  take  his  night's  rest  beside 
his  guerrilla  captor. 

Hay  wrapped  himself  in  the  blanket  that  was  given  him 
and  stretched  his  chilled  and  tired  frame  upon  the  hearth 
before  the  fire. 

But  Wing  went  prowling  about  the  room  until  he  found 
a  large  closet ;  and  then  he  asked  permission  to  sleep  within 
it.  And  as  the  closet  communicated  only  with  the  room, 
and  had  no  outlet  by  which  the  prisoner  could  escape,  this 
permission  was  readily  granted. 


228  HOW      HE      WON      HER 

Only  Hay  was  dissatisfied. 

"  It's  just  like  that  sulky,  unsocial  fellow,  "Wing — always 
poking  himself  off  by  himself ;  and  yes,  by  ganny  !  always 
finding  a  place  to  poke  himself  into  besides,"  growled  the 
boy,  as  he  settled  himself  to  rest. 

Fatigue  is  such  a  solicitor  of  sleep,  that  with  a  clear  con- 
science and  a  sound  constitution  a  tired  man  must  sleep 
under  the  most  inauspicious  circumstances. 

So  Justin  Eosenthal,  despite  his  captivity,  fell  into  a 
deep  and  dreamless  slumber  that  lasted  until  morning,  when 
the  beating  of  the  reveille*  in  the  guerrilla  camp  aroused 
him.  But  even  then,  on  first  waking,  he  thought  it  was 
the  reveille  of  his  own  camp.  And  it  was  not  until  he  saw 
his  bedfellow  rising  that  he  recollected  his  circumstances. 

"  I  hope  you  have  slept  well,  Colonel,"  exclaimed  his 
captor,  who  was  then  standing  by  the  bed,  drawing  on  his 
trowsers. 

"  Thank  you,  yes,"  rather  surlily  answered  Justin. 

And  there  the  brief  conversation  ended. 

As  for  young  Hay,  he  slept  so  soundly  that  it  required 
several  sharp  salutes  from  the  boots  of  Bannister  before  he 
could  be  brought  to  consciousness. 

'"Come,  you  little  Yankee  whelp  !  up  with  you  there  !  Is 
that  the  way  yon  Union  fellows  sleep  in  camp  when  the 
reveille  is  rolling  in  your  ears  ?  Because  if  it  is,  I  don't 
wonder  we  whip  you  wherever  we  meet  you.  Up  I  say  !  " 
exclaimed  Bannister,  with  a  vigorous  blow  from  his  boots. 

"Aw-w-w!  Yes,"  yawned  poor  Hay,  but  half  awake, 
and  dreaming  that  he  was  surprised  by  the  enemy  in  his 
own  camp.  "  Aw-w-w !  yes.  Any  of  the  Eebs  round  ?  " 

"'Any  of  the  Eebs  round,'  you  little  reptile?  Well, 
yes,  I  reckon  the  Eebs  are  round — slightuously  !  "  laughed 
the  captain. 

Hay  got  up,  stretched  himself,  stared  about,  saw  his  col- 
onel, and  then  recollected  everything. 


M  O  N  C  K  .  229 

But  it  was  not  until  the  two  officers  were  quite  dressed 
that  Wing  caine  out  of  the  closet  where  he  had  passed  the 
night. 

Soon  afterwards  Captain  Bannister's  two  men  came  in  and 
arranged  the  room,  kindled  the  fire,  and  set  the  table  for 
breakfast,  and  placed  upon  it  strong  coffee,  sugar,  milk 
and  cream ;  and  good  bread,  butter,  ham  and  fish. 

After  breakfast  Captain  Bannister  went  to  Monck  for 
instructions,  and  after  an  absence  of  half  an  hour  returned 
to  his  prisoners,  and  addressing  Colonel  Eosenthal,  said : 

"  Major  Monck  is  not  well  this  morning,  and  will  not  be 
able  to  see  you  for  some  hours.  But  he  has  authorized  me 
to  take  your  parole,  and.give  you  the  freedom  of  the  camp." 

Since  there  was  no  good  alternative  Justin  gave  his 
parole. 

"  Now  go  where  you  please  within  the  limits  of  this 
camp,  Colonel,  and  return  when  you  like  to  this  room,  which 
will  be  your  quarters.  But  report  to  me,  if  you  please,  at 
sharp  noon,"  said  Captain  Bannister. 

Justin  bowed  acquiescence  ;  but  his  ..heart  was  too  full  of 
chagrin  and  mortification  to  permit  him  to  speak. 

The  privilege  granted  to  Colonel  Eosenthal  was  also 
extended  to  his  orderlies,  who  gladly  availed  themselves  of 
it  by  getting  permission  of  their  colonel  to  leave  the  room, 
and  leaving  it  immediately. 

Colonel  Rosenthal  also  strolled  out  into  the  air. 

The  morning  was  clear  and  frosty ;  and  the  scenery 
around  the  old  farm-house  was  very  fine.  Nearest  the 
house  there  was  an  old  garden,  in  which  a  few  late  roses 
still  bloomed,  and  a  few  fall  vegetables  grew.  Farther  on 
there  were  apple  and  peach  orchards,  but  the  trees  were 
stripped  of  their  fruit.  Beyond  these  were  old  fields, 
studded  here  and  there  with  monstrous  forest  trees. 
Around  the  whole  was  a  circle  of  thick  woods.  And 
behind  them  arose  the  wall  of  mountains. 


230  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

When  Justin  Kosenthal  went  out  upon  the  camp  ground, 
in  front  of  the  house,  he  found  the  drums  heating  and  the 
men  mustering  for  the  company  drill. 

He  saw  Hay  standing  gazing  upon  the  scene.  His  other 
orderly  was  nowhere  to  he  seen. 

"Where  is  Wing  ?  "  inquired  Justin. 

"I  don't  know,  sir;  he  walked  away  hy  himself.  He 
never  stops  with  me,  or  any  of  the  hoys,  when  he  can  help 
it,"  answered  Hay,  touching  his  cap. 

Colonel  Eosenthal  nodded,  and  strolled  on,  followed  hy 
Hay. 

"  So  it  appears  that  the  great  Major  Monck  cannot  receive 
us  this  morning,"  said  Colonel  Rosenthal,  speaking  more 
to  himself  than  to  his  orderly. 

"No,  sir!  May  I  tell  you  why,  sir?"  briskly  asked 
Hay. 

"  Why,  they  say  that  he  is  indisposed." 

"He  is  getting  over  a  glorious  old  drunk,  sir  ! " 

«  Hay ! " 

"Yes,  he  is,  sir!  The  men  are  all  saying  it  I  I  heard 
them  muttering  about  it.  They  whisper  that  the  '  intoxi- 
fied  brute  ' — that's  what  they  called  him — fuddled  himself 
last  night  with  the  sutler's  brandy,  and  couldn't  lift  his 
head  from  his  pillow  this  morning,  if  it  had  been  to  save 
the  camp." 

"  The  men  speak  so  of  their  leader,  Hay  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir!  in  whisperings  and  mutterings !  But  you 
know  how  sharp  my  ears  are,  sir  !  and  I  used  them  and 
heard  enough  to  feel  sure  that  the  great  Monck's  band  are 
what  they  call  disinfected." 

"  Disaffected,  you  mean,  my  boy." 

"Well,  sir,  disa/fected,  if  that  means  that  they  have 
taken  a  misliking  to  their  commander." 

"  It  means  something  of  the  sort,  if  it  is  true,  Hay," 
said  his  colonel. 


M  O  N  C  K  .  231 

They  strolled  on,  and  passed  through  a  broken  gate  into 
the  old  garden,  where  they  came  upon  Wing,  standing 
among  the  bushes,  and  gazing  in  a  meditative  manner  upon 
a  bunch  of  pale,  autumn  roses  he  had  just  gathered. 

"  A  penny  for  your  thoughts,  my  boy/'  said  Colonel  Ros- 
enthal,  kindly. 

"  They  are  not  worth  the  penny,  sir.  I  was  only  think- 
ing of  these  pale  roses  trying  to  bloom  in  the  frosty  air ; 
how  like  they  are  to  human  hopes  trying  still  to  keep  alive 
in  the  midst  of  cold  and  killing  disappointment  and  des- 
pair." 

"The  roses  will  bloom  again  in  spring,  and  hope  revive 
again  in  heaven,  Wing,"  said  Colonel  Rosenthal,  laying  his 
hand  kindly  on  the  boy's  head. 

After  that  the  three  strolled  on  together  for  a  while  and 
then  separated,  each  going  his  own  way. 

At  noon  Colonel  Rosenthal,  according  to  his  promise,  re- 
turned to  the  house,  to  report  himself.  He  went  straight 
to  his  quarters,  where  he  found  Wing  and  Hay  also  wait- 
ing; and  where  they  were  soon  after  joined  by  Captain 
Bannister. 

"  All  right,"  answered  the  latter,  when  his  prisoners  had 
formally  reported. 

"  And  now,  Colonel  Rosenthal,"  he  added,  Major  Monck 
is  prepared  to  receive  yeu,  and  I  am  ready  to  escort  you  to 
his  presence." 

Justin  bowed  and  followed  Bannister,  who  led  the  way 
out  of  the  room,  across  the  hall,  and  through  the  opposite 
door,  that  admitted  them  into  the  apartment  occupied  by 
Monck.  t 

It  was  a  chamber  exactly  similar  in  size  and  appearance 
to  the  one  they  had  just  left.  But  it  was  furnished  rudely 
as  an  office  or  sitting-room,  with  rough-hewn  tables,  chairs, 
stands  and  shelves.  The  floor,  walls  and  windows  were 
bare,  but  there  was  a  fine  fire  of  pine  wood  blazing  iu  the 


232  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

chimney,  and  diffusing  an  air  of  cheerfulness  even  over  this 
dreary  scene. 

Four  or  fire  soldiers  lounged  about  the  room,  standing 
before  the  fire  or  gazing  out  of  the  windows. 

A  large,  square  deal  table  stood  in  the  middle  of  the 
floor.  Seated  at  it,  and  gazing  at  a  map  spread  out  before 
him,  was  the  guerrilla  Monck.  This  notorious  leader,  hated 
even  by  his  own  men,  needs  here  a  particular  description. 
In  the  first  place,  he  did  not  look  the  least  like  the  popular 
idea  of  a  guerrilla,  or  even  of  a  soldier.  He  looked  far 
more  like  a  rogue  and  a  hypocrite. 

He  was  a  very  large,  fat,  fair  man,  with  a  round  head, 
covered  with  short  cropped  flaxen  hair,  a  big  white  face, 
pale  grey  eyes,  and  full,  sensual  lips.  He  was  dressed  in  a 
loose  fitting  suit  of  Confederate  gray.  And  his  broad- 
brimmed,  soft  felt  hat  lay  on  the  table  before  him.  If  he 
had  been  really  intoxicated  the  night  before,  there  was 
little  in  his  lymphatic  appearance  to  betray  the  fact  now. 

All  these  circumstances  Colonel  Rosenthal  had  time  to 
observe  while  waiting  for  the  great  leader  to  look  up  from 
his  map,  and  deign  to  notice  his  visitors. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

A    COLD-BLOODED     SENTENCE. 

'Tis  now  past  midnight,  and  by  eight  to-morrow 
Thou  must  be  made  immortal.         .    If  I  must  die, 
I  will  encounter  darkness  as  a  bride, 
And  hug  it  to  my  breast. — SHAKSFEABK. 

AT  length  Monck  looked  up  from  his  map,  but  he  turned 
his  heavy  white  face  towards  Colonel  Eosenthal  and  stared 
with  his  big  blue  eyes  straight  through  that  gentleman's 
head  as  if  it  had  not  stood  in  his  line  of  vision.  Monck  was 


A      COLD-BLOODED      SENTENCE.  *2"3 

evidently  iu   a  maze,  being  still  bewildered  with  his  geo- 
graphical puzzles 

With  a  courteous  bow  and  wave  of  his  hand  towards  his 
companions,  Captain  Bannister  motioned  him  up  to  the 
guerrilla  chief  and  presented  him. 

"  Colonel  Eosenthal,  of  the Cavalry.  Major  Monck." 

"  Colonel  Eosenthal,  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you — very 
glad  indeed  !  I  can  say  these  words  with  more  truth  than 
they  are  usually  said.  Indeed  I  was  so  desirous  of  enter- 
taining you,  that  hearing  you  were  on  your  way  to  W.,  at- 
tended by  a  single  orderly,  I  sent  out  a  special  detachment 
of  my  best  men  to  meet  and  escort  you  here.  Again  I  say 
I  am  delighted  to  make  your  acquaintance.  How  are  you, 
sir  ?  "  said  Monck,  with  a  sort  of  cold  jocularity,  extending 
his  fat  hand  to  his  prisoner. 

But  Colonel  Eosenthal  ignored  the  hand  and  retreating  a 
step,  bowed  coldly. 

"  Take  a  seat,  sir — take  a  seat.  Make  yourself  at  home. 
We  hope  to  enjoy  the  pleasure  of  your  company  for  a  good 
long  while.  We  shall  hold  you  in  a  sort  of  honorable  cap- 
tivity, as  a  hostage  for  the  safety  of  some  of  our  poor  fel- 
lows now  pining  in  the  clock-peddlers'  prisons.  Sit  down, 
sir.  Pra}r  sit  down.  But  let  us  find  a  chair  first.  Here  ! 
you  !  Hoskins  !  bring  a  chair  this  way  for  the  gentleman. 
I  hope  we  shall  spend  a  pleasant  season  together,  Colonel 
Eosenthal." 

One  of  the  men  brought  forward  a  rude  wooden  chair, 
probably  of  camp  manufacture,  and  Justin  threw  himself 
into  it. 

Monck  squared  himself  for  a  talk.     Placing  his  big  hands 
upon  his  fat  knees,  and  staring  blankly  straight  before  him, 
as  seemed  his  senseless  habit,  he  began  by  saying  : 
"  I  hope,  sir,  you  found  your  quarters  agreeable." 
"  I  believe,  sir,  Captain  Bannister  did  his  best  to  make 
them  so,"  answered  Justin,  coldly. 


234  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

"  That  was  right.  By  the  way,  Captain  Bannister,  you 
can  retire,"  said  Monck,  turnir.^  towards  his  officer,  who 
immediately  left  the  room. 

"  And  your  rations,  sir  ?  How  were  they  ?  inquired 
Monck,  squaring  towards  his  prisoner  again. 

"  I  found  no  fault  with  them." 

"  That  is  well.  Nor,  to  tell  the  honest  truth,  do  I  think 
that  you  had  any  reason  to  do  so.  We  have  a  plenty  of 
provender  just  now.  The  capture  of  that  sutler's  wagon 
was  a  great  stroke  of  good  fortune.  It  came  in  the  nick  of 
time,  when  we  were  expecting  distinguished  company,  you 
see — ho !  ho  !  ho  !  Well,  I  am  glad  you  find  yourself  so 
comfortable,  Colonel." 

Again  Justin  bowed  gravely. 

"  So  Grant  is  to  have  the  command  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  !  "  said  Monck,  suddenly. 

"  I  have  heard  nothing  to  that  effect,  Major  Monck," 
replied  Justin,  coldly. 

"  That's  strange  !     And  we  knew  all  about  it." 

Justin  made  no  reply. 

^ "  And  General  W.  is  in  the  Valley  again  ?  "   said  the 
guerilla,  interrogatively. 

"  Major  Monck,  you  must  be  aware  that  I  cannot  con- 
verse with  you  upon  military  affairs,"  said  Justin. 

"  Humph !  not  even  upon  subjects  the  details  of  which 
are  as  familiar  to  us  as  they  are  to  your  cabinet  at  Wash- 
ington, or  to  your  general  officers  in  council !  Bless  you, 
man,  we  have  our  friends  in  your  cabinet,  in  your  Congress, 
in  your  councils — and  even  in  your  very  detective  police 
force  !  Ha,  ha,  ha  !  ho,  ho,  ho  !  Why,  man,  we  know  the 
contents  of  the  sealed  orders  with  which  your  ships-of-war 
sail,  long  before  the  commanders  who  hold  them  have 
broken  them  open  !  We  knew  where  Banks  was  going, 
though  all  the  loyal  people  of  the  United  States,  and  all 
the  naval  and  military  officers,  were  in  a  frenzy  of  curiosity 
and  wonder  as  to  fhe  meaning  of  the  expedition  !  " 


A      COLD-BLOODED      SENTENCE.  235 

"  I  know  nothing  of  your  means  of  information,  Major 
Monck  ;  but  I  do  know  that  I  cannot  converse  with  you  on 
the  subject." 

"  Quite  right !  I  beg  your  pardon !  Let  us  talk  of 
something  else.  My  poor  fellows  up  there  in  your  Old 
Capitol  Prison  at  Washington  !  How  do  you  treat  them  ? 
give  them  enough  to  eat  and  drink?  " 

"  Assuredly  we  do,  sir.  However  little  I  may  know,  by 
experience,  of  our  military  prison  discipline,  I  am  quite  cer- 
tain that  our  prisoners  are  well  fed,  well  clothed,  and  well 
sheltered,"  said  Justin,  gravely. 

"  That  is  as  it  should  be,  especially  as  to  the  feeding.  I 
shouldn't  mind  so  much  your  hanging  one  of  our  men  now 
and  then  when  you  can  find  hanging  matter  against  him  ; 
because  hanging  is  short  work,  and  soon  over ;  and  I  do  the 
like  myself  occasionally ;  but  I  do  abhor  the  idea  of  your 
starving  the  poor  fellows !  Being  a  good  feeder  myself,  I 
feel  pity  for  a  famishing  man.  And  so  long  as  I  have  food 
for  myself  and  men  I  divide  it  fairly  with  my  prisoners.  I 
never,  under  any  circumstances,  stint  my  prisoner  ;  though 
sometimes,  in  the  way  of -retaliation  for  some  poor  devil  of  a 
bushwhacker  that  you  have  strung  up  to  a  roadside  tree, 
and  to  give  my  boys  something  to  look  at,  and  keep  them  in 
a  good  humor,  I  have  to  hang  a  Yankee ! — Colonel,  you 
smoke  ?  Try  one  of  those  cigars  ;  you  will  find.them  excel- 
lent. Yonder  Scotch  sutler  is  a  good  judge  of  tobacco  and 
whiskey.  I  never  met  with  better  Habanas  or  better  old 
Mononghahela  than  what  we  took  from  his  wagon.  Again 
I  say  it  was  a  capital  stroke  of  good  fortune,  the  falling  upon 
that  sutler.  Try  cftie  of  these  cigars,  Colonel." 

"  Thanks — no.  I  seldom  smoke  in  the  morning," 
answered  Justin,  coldly. 

"Here,  Pearson,  bring  that  parcel  of  newspapers  that  we 
took  from  the  sutler's  wagon,"  called  Monck. 

A   soldier  advanced   from    a   remote    part   of  the   room, 


236  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

bringing  in  his  arms  a  large  bundle  of  papers,  which  he 
laid  upon  the  table. 

"  Colonel  Kosenthal,  here  are  Boston,  New  York,  Phila- 
delphia, Baltimore  and  Washington  papers.  None  of  them 
are  over  two  days  old,  and  therefore  as  likely  to  be  new  to 
you  as  they  were  to  me.  Pray  take  them,  and  amuse  your- 
self while  I  try  to  study  out  this  cursed  course  on  the  map. 
You  will  remain  here  and  dine  with  me  to-day.  And  you 
will  make  yourself  at  home  in  the  house,  and  within  the 
limits  of  the  camp  consider  yourself  at  liberty." 

Justin  bowed,  took  up  the  parcel  of  papers,  and  with- 
drew to  an  unoccupied  window  seat  to  look  over  them. 

And  Monck  resumed  the  study  of  his  map,  probably 
trying  to  make  out  the  shortest  and  safest  route  to  the 
rendezvous  at  the  Black  Bear's  Pass. 

So  several  hours  went  by  quietly  enough. 

Monck  remained  seated  at  the  table,  tracing  lines  on  his 
map  and  making  memoranda  on  his  paper,  or  receiving 
reports  and  giving  instructions  to  the  officers  and  men  who 
were  continually  coming  and  going. 

Colonel  Rosenthal  remained  in  the  window-seat,  occupied 
with  his  newspapers. 

At  length,  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  Monck  im- 
patiently arose  from  the  table,  and  sweeping  his  maps  and 
papers  into  a  heap,  exclaimed : 

"  Put  all  these  things  out  of  my  sight.  The  more  I 
puzzle  myself  over  them,  the  more  I  addle  my  brains. 
And  tell  them  to  serve  dinner  immediately.  I  want  it." 

Two  of  the  men  came  forward  and  cleared  the  table, 
sweeping  the  things  that  were  on  top  of  it  into  a  drawer 
below  it.  And  then  they  went  out  to  attend  to  the  dinner. 

Monck  stretched  his  huge  limbs,  yawned  like  a  clap  of 
thunder,  and  began  to  walk  heavily  up  and  down  the  old 
floor,  shaking  the  ricketty  house  as  with  the  tread  of  an 
elephant 

Meanwhile  his  attendant  soldiers  came  in  and  arranged 


A      C  OT/D-BLO  OD  ED      SENTENCE.  237 

the  table  for  dinner,  by  spreading  over  it  a  white  cloth,  and 
plnring  upon  it  a  miscellaneous  assortment  of  cracked 
crockery  ware  and  nicked  cutlery. 

Then  they  brought  in  the  dishes — a  boiled  ham,  a  roast 
turkey,  and  vegetables,  which,  with  a  bottle  of  pale  brandy 
and  another  of  old  rye  whiskey,  they  sat  upon  the  dinner 
table,  after  which  they  arranged  a  second  course  of  pastries 
and  jellies,  and  a  dessert  of  fruits,  nuts,  and  light  wines  on. 
a  side-table. 

"  Heaven  bless  the  Scotch  sutler  !  "  exclaimed  Monck,  as 
he  saw  all  these  luxuries.  "  Come,  Colonel,  draw  up  to  the 
table  and  help  me  to  enjoy  the  good  victuals  set  before  us. 
Forget  that  we  are  foes,  and  let  us  be  good  fellows  for  once  ! 
What  is  that  the  Russian  poet  says  ? 

'  When  at  the  board  let  hate  forget 

The  bitterest  words  of  yesterday, 
For  where  the  bread  and  salt  have  met 
All  thoughts  of  hate  should  pass  away.' 

Come !  do  not  let  us  be  worse  Christians  than  the 
Cossack  !  Sit  up,  sit  up  !  "  said  Monck,  placing  a  chair  for 
himself  and  one  for  Colonel  Eosenthal  at  the  table. 

Thus  pressed,  Justin  laid  aside  his  newspapers  and  came 
and  seated  himself  at  the  board. 

An  orderly  waited  on  the  two  officers. 

Monck  carved  the"  turkey,  and  requested  Colonel 
Kosenthal  to  cut  the  ham. 

The  orderly  handed  the  plates,  and  the  dinner  com- 
menced. 

Monck,  the  guerrilla,  is  said  never  to  have  appeared  to 
greater  advantage  than  when  seated  at  the  head  of  his  own 
table.  He  was  really,  as  he  had  proclaimed  himself  to  be, 
a  good  feeder.  He  was  also  a  good  drinker,  and  he  enjoyed 
eating  and  drinking  excessively,  especially  in  the  company 
of  an  agreeable  companion,  such  as  he  was  disposed  to  con- 
sider his  prisoner. 


238  HOW      HE     VI*  O  N      HER. 

Monck  was  obstinate  and  stolid,  and  disposed  to  enjoy 
himself;  so  he  either  would  not,  or  could  not,  perceive  that 
Colonel  Rosenthal  shared  his  society  under  protest,  or  had 
done  so,  rather  ;  for  now  the  Kussian's  rhyme  was  running 
in  Justin's  head,  and  somewhat  modifying  his  feelings  : 

"  Where  the  bread  and  salt  are  met 

All  thoughts  of  hate  should  pass  away." 

The  dinner  was  very  protracted.  The  major,  and  of 
course  his  prisoner  guest,  lingered  long  over  the  first  course, 
longer  still  over  the  second,  and  longest  over  the  third ;  so 
that  it  was  after  six  o'clock,  and  growing  dark,  when 
Monck  called  out  to  his  attendants : 

"  Clear  the  table  now ;  and  bring  us  lights,  and  more 
brandy,  and  pipes,  and  tobacco.  We'll  make  a  night  of 

it ! And  here  !  throw  some  more  logs  on  to  the  fire. 

Let  us  have  a  roaring  blaze  !  " 

Monck's  orders  were  promptly  obeyed.  The  table  was 
cleared  of  the  debris  of  the  dessert,  and  pipes,  tobacco, 
cigars,  brandy  and  whiskey  set  upon  it ;  and  two  candles 
stuck  into  black  bottles,  were  placed  beside  them.  Lastly, 
four  or  five  huge  pine  logs  were  thrown  upon  the  fire,  which 
now  burst  into  a  broad  flame,  illumining  the  whole  room 
with  a  cheerful  light. 

Colonel  Rosenthal.  seeing  these  preparations  for  "  making 
a  night  of  it,"  arose  from  his  chair  to  leave  the  table. 

But  Monck,  with  friendly  earnestness,  laid  his  sledge- 
hammer hand  upon  the  prisoner  guest's  shoulder  and  forced 
him  back  into  his  seat,  saying  cordially  : 

"  No,  no,  no  !  Don't  often  get  a  boon  companion,  and  can't 
let  you  go !  You  needn't  drink,  since  you  don't  like  it !  but 
you  have  no  German  blood  in  you,  as  your  name  would  in- 
dicate, if  you  don't  like  a  good  smoke  !  Sit  down  and  try 
some  of  these  cigars." 

Thus  pressed,  Colonel  Eosenthal  resumed  his  seat. 


A      COLD-BLOODED     SENTENCE.  239 

An  hour  went  by,  during  which  the  blazing  wood-fire 
roared  and  crackled  in  the  chimney,  lighting  up  the  whole 
room  in  which  Monck  and  his  prisoner  sat  at  table  — 
Monck  smoking  and  drinking,  his  prisoner  smoking  and 
thinking. 

Occasionally,  as  through  the  day  officers,  and  men  came  to 
make  reports  and  receive  instructions  and  went  away  to 
execute  orders.  These  were  the  only  interruptions,  and  they 
were  very  brief  ones.  And  at  length  these  also  ceased. 
The  tattoo  was  beat,  the  guards  set,  and  the  camp  subsided 
t-o  repose,  and  the  guerrilla  chief  and  his  guest  were  left  in 
peace. 

But  not  for  any  long  time.  Another  hour  was  passing 
slowly  by,  when  the  stillness  was  broken  by  an  unusual  noise 
without. 

Monck  took  the  pipe  from  his  mouth,  and  turned  his  head 
to  listen. 

The  noise  increased  and  became  uproarious.  A  great  clat- 
ter of  horses'  hoofs,  as  from  a  large  body  of  cavalry  dashing 
into  the  camp,  mingled  with  loud  cries,  oaths  and  curses, 
and  a  confusion  of  strange  sounds,  filled  the  air,  and  nearly 
deafened  and  bewildered  those  who  tried  to  listen  and  under- 
stand. 

"  I'm  blasted  if  I  don't  think  the  Yankees  have  surprised 
the  camp  !  "  exclaimed  Monck,  starting  to  his  feet  to  run 
out. 

At  the  door  he  paused  and  turned  suddenly  to  Justin, 
and  saying: 

"  Remember  your  parole  and  stay  where  you  are."  And 
then  he  rushed  through  the  door,  banging  it  after  him. 

Left  to  himself,  Justin  listened  anxiously  to  the  sounds 
without.  Had  the  Union  cavalry  gained  clue  to  Monck's 
retreat  and  surprised  his  camp  ?  He  earnestly  hoped 
that  it  might  be  so,  and  he  closed  his  eyes  and  strained 
his  fars  to  hear.  And  the  noise  continued  in  all  its  chaos 


210  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

and  sounds,  but  i-t  told  him  nothing  definitely.  And  no  one 
came  into  the  room  of  whom  he  might  make  inquiries,  for 
in  the  excitement  of  the  hour  every  man  was  on  the  scene 
of  action  outside.  And  he  himself  was  bound  by  his  parole 
to  remain  where  he  was. 

As  he  listened  in  keen  anxiety  and  heavy  suspense,  he 
thought  that  the  noise  without  was  certainly  not  that  of  an 
engagement.  There  was  no  firing  of  shots,  no  ringing  of 
steel,  no  sound  of  battle  whatever.  Only  the  prancing  of 
horses  and  the  yelling  of  men.  Certainly  if  the  confusion 
was  caused  by  the  onslaught  of  the  Union  cavalry,  the 
guerrillas  must  have  yielded  without  a  blow.  And  that  was 
scarcely  a  supposable  case  either  with  men  of  their  fierce 
nature  and  reckless  courage. 

Still  as  he  listened  the  noise  began  to  subside ;  the  horses 
ceased  to  prance,  the  men  to  yell.  And  then  it  occurred  to 
Justin  that  all  this  excitement  might  have  been  kindled  by 
the  return  of  Monck's  own  foragers  from  their  late  raid. 
Nothing  more  likely,  he  decided. 

At  length,  when  perhaps  half  an  hour  had  passed,  and 
quiet  seemed  to  have  been  restored  without,  Major  Monck 
re-entered  the  room,  and  resumed  his  seat  at  the  table. 

"  May  one  inquire  what  all  the  noise  was  about  ?  "  ques- 
tioned Justin. 

"  Oh,  nothing  in  particular — nothing  unusual — fortune  of 
war,"  answered  Monck,  evasively.  Then  raising  his  voice, 
he  bawled  out,  "Here,  Hoskins,  bring  two  fresh  candles. 
These  are  burning  so  low  that  they  are  about  to  slip  down 
into  the  bottles." 

The  man  called  Hoskins  came  in,  bringing  the  required 
articles,  and  with  the  increase  of  light,  Justin  saw  that  a 
great  change  had  passed  over  his  host.  The  face  of  the 
guerrilla  chief,  always  white  and  heavy,  was  now  stern  and 
set  with  some  grim  purpose. 

"Throw  more  "logs  on  the   fire,  Hoskins.     It  is  nearly 


A      COLD-BLOODED     SENTENCE.  241 

out,"  he  said,  as  he  drummed  thoughtfully  on  the  table  with 
his  fat  fingers. 

Hoskins  obeyed  the  order  given  him,  and  once  more  the 
fire  blazed  up. 

"  Now  bring  more  brandy.  Some  of  that  Dry  London 
Dock  and  Otard,  mind  you ;  and  more  cigars,  some  of  the 
best,"  he  added. 

The  man  sat  two  bottles  and  one  parcel  on  the  table,  and 
then  waited  farther  directions. 

"You  may  go,  now,"  said  Monck.  And  Hoskins  left 
the  room. 

Justin  looked  at  his  host  and  wondered  what  had  hap- 
pened, and  surmised  that  the  foraging  party  must  have 
come  to  bitter  grief,  so  to  have  changed  the  aspect  of  this 
unirnpressible  man. 

"  I  am  sure  that  something  unpleasant  has  occurred  to 
you,  Major,"  said  Justin. 

"  Oh,  no,  no — nothing  at  all  but  what  we  are  used  to," 
replied  Monck,  who  was  in  the  act  of  drawing  the  cork 
from  one  of  the  brandy  bottles.  When  he  had  done  so,  he 
poured  out  a  large  glass  of  brandy  and  pushed  it  towards 
his  guest,  and  said : 

"  You  have  drank  nothing,  neither  wine  nor  liquor,  to- 
day. Oblige  me  by  trying  this  fine  old  Otard." 

"  Thanks,  no.     I  would  rather  not,"  answered  Justin. 

"  Are  you  a  member  of  the  Total  Abstinence  Society, 
then  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no !  I  take  a  little  brandy  now  and  then,  when  I 
really  need  it,"  replied  Justin. 

"You  need  it  now,  or  you  will  need  it  before  many 
minutes  are  over  your  head.  I  beg  that  you  will  drink," 
insisted  Monck  without  a  smile  on  his  face. 

"  Oh,  well,  if  you  make  so  strong  a  point  of  it.     I  am 
under   no   pledge,"    replied  Justin,  laughing  again    as   he 
raised  the  glass  to  his  lips. 
15 


242  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

"That  is  right.  It  will  brace  you  up,"  said  Monck. 
And  with  that  he  filled  a  large  tumbler  with  brandy  for 
himself  and  tossed  it  off,  and  then  another  and  another, 
until  the  bottle  was  empty. 

The  quantity  of  brandy  that  would  have  intoxicated 
almost  any  other  man  only  steadied  him.  To  use  a  common 
phrase,  he  was  himself  again — the  same  cold,  cruel,  sensual 
monster,  who  could  order  a  poor  wretch  hung  up  by  the 
neck  to  a  tree  before  his  tent ;  and  have  the  door  left  open, 
so  that  while  eating  his  breakfast  he  might  enjoy  the  dying 
agonies  of  the  victim.  In  a  word,  he  was  the  same  man 
that  he  was  reported,  but  that  Justin  had  never  really  be- 
lieved him  to  be. 

"Take  a  cigar,  Colonel.  I  see  that  Hoskins  has  brought 
us  a  really  good  lot.  Bless  that  Scotch  sutler  !  Try  this 
one.  The  sedative  effects  of  good  tobacco  upon  a  man's 
nerves  is  really  incomparable,"  said  Monck.  handing  what 
he  considered  a  choice  cigar  to  Colonel  Eosenthal,  and  then 
selecting  and  lighting  one  for  himself. 

They  puffed  away  in  silence  for  awhile,  and  then  Monck 
remowng  his  "weed"  to  knock  the  ashes  off,  looked  in- 
tently upon  the  face  of  his  companion  and  inquired : 

"  How  do  you  feel,  Colonel  Rosenthal  ?  " 

"  Quite  well,  thank  you,"  answered  Justin,  raising  his 
eyebrows  in  surprise. 

"  That's  right !     Pretty  strongly  braced  up,  eh  ?  " 

"  Quite  so  !  " 

"  Glad  to  know  it.     Able  to  bear  a  pretty  severe  shock  ?" 

"  I  do  not  know.  What  do  you  mean  ? "  exclaimed 
Justin,  uneasily. 

"Because  I  shall  have  to  give  you  a  devil  of  a  shock 
presently." 

"In  the  name  of  Heaven  what  has  happened?  Have 
you  any  ill  news  of  my  friends  ? "  anxiously  inquired 
Colonel  Eosenthal. 


A     C  O  L  D  -  B  L  0  O  D  K  1)      SENTENCE.  243 

"No,"  said  Monck,  coolly  replacing  the  cigar  in  his 
mouth  and  drawing  the  end  of  it  into  a  bright  coal.  "  No  ; 
no  ill  news  of  your  friends !  ill  news  for  your  friends,  how- 
ever?" 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Major  Monck  ?  " 

"  Colonel  Kosenthal,  you  are  a  brave  man  ?  "  said  Monck, 
semi-interrogatively. 

"  My  friends  think  so." 

"  And  your  foes  know  so." 

Justin  bowed  his  head  in  acknowledgment  of  this  com- 
pliment. 

"  Well,  Colonel  Rosenthal,  as  a  brave  man,  you  have  no 
fear  of  death,"  said  Monck,  coolly  throwing  away  his  stump 
of  cigar  and  lighting  another. 

"  At  least  I  have  faced  it  often  enough,"  replied  Justin. 

"  And  faced  it  fearlessly,  no  doubt." 

"  I  trust  so.  But  really  I  do  not  know  to  what  this  talk 
is  tending." 

"  No,  you  really  do  not  seem  to  know.  And  that  is  the 
worst  of  it.  This  breaking  of  bad  news  is  a  very  difficult 
matter,  especially  when  the  hearer  does  not  help  the  speaker 
by  jumping  half  way  to  the  conclusion.  But  to  return  to 
our  mutton — our  dead  mutton !  So  you  have  faced  death, 
and  faced  it  fearlessly ;  death  in  the  field,  and  death  in  the 
hospital ;  death  sharp  and  sudden  as  a  sabre  stroke,  and 
death  slow  and  painful  as  the  gnawing  of  the  worm  that 
never  dies  ! " 

"  I  have  looked  upon  death  in  all  these  aspects,"  answered 
Colonel  Kosenthal,  gravely. 

"  And  he  has  no  terrors  for  you — 

"  '  For  come  he  slow  or  come  he  fast, 
He  is  but  death  that  comes  at  last,' 

I  suppose  you  think,  eh,  Colonel  Eosenthal  ?  " 

"  I  have  said  so.  But  I  would  be  glad  to  know  why  you 
press  these  questions  upon  me." 


244  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

"Now,  do  you  see,  I  don't  think  you  would  be  glad  to 
know  ?  '  Ignorance  is  bliss,'  my  dear  fellow,  most  especi- 
ally in  your  case.  Take  some  more  brandy." 

"  No,  thanks  ;  no  more  for  me.  Tell  me  to  what  all  this 
talk  tends,  Major  Monck." 

" '  Be  innocent  of  the  knowledge,  dearest  chuck,  till  you 
approve  the  deed,'  I  might  say,  only  I  can't,  because,  you 
see,  the  '  deed '  can't  be  done  without  your  knowledge,  and, 
when  it  is  done,  you  will  be  very  far  past  '  approving '  it ! 
— Really,  this  Old  London  Dock  is  very  much  finer  than 
the  Otard.  Let  me  persuade  you  to  try  it." 

"  No !  Tell  me  what  you  mean  by  this  strange  dis- 
course." 

"  Well,  if  you  insist  upon  it,  I  will.  Besides,  it  is  really 
time  to  tell  you.  But  light  your  cigar  first.  We  can 
smoke  while  we  talk.  Well,  then,  I  mean  that  I  shall  have 
to  hang  you  in  about  an  hour  from  this." 


CHAPTEE  XX. 

THE   WHISPER. 

He  speaketh  low,  he  speaketh  calm, 

"Ride  fast,  my  master,  ride, 
Or  e'er  within  the  broadening  dark 

The  narrow  shadows  hide. 
Ere  night  I  shall  be  near  to  thee— 

Now  ride,  my  master,  ride — 
Ere  night,  as  parted  spirits  cleave 
To  mortals  too  beloved  to  leave, 

I  shall  be  by  thy  side !  "— E.  B.  BEOWHINO. 

"¥ES,  Colonel  Rosenthal,  I  shall  have  to  hang  you  in 
about  an  hour  from  this." 

Having  pronounced  this  dreadful  sentence  in  the  coolest 
manner,  Monck  tossed  off  his  tumbler  of  brandy,  and  then 
looked  up  to  see  what  effect  the  words  had  had  upon  his  in- 
tended victim, 


THE     WHISPEK.  245 

Colonel  Rosenthal's  countenance  was  not  changed  in  the 
slightest  degree.  He  was  still  sitting  back  in  his  chair, 
contemplating  Monck  with  that  expression  of  mingled  curi- 
osity and  perplexity  with  which  he  had  hitherto  listened  to 
the  guerrilla  chieftain's  strange  discourse. 

It  was  now  Monck's  turn  to  stare  with  astonishment  at 
his  prisoner. 

"  Well,  I'm  dashed  !  if  ever  I  saw  a  fellow  receive  a  sen- 
tence of  death  so  coolly  in  all  my  life !  Thunder,  man,  did 
you  hear  what  I  said  to  you  ?  I  have  just  told  you  that  I 
shall  have  to  hang  you  in  about  an  hour  ! "  exclaimed  the 
chieftain. 

"  I  heard  you,  Major  Monck,"  coldly  and  haughtily 
replied  the  captive. 

"  You  did,  eh  ?  Well,  upon  my  word,  you  take  things 
coolly  for  a  young  one.  What  do  you  think  of  it  ?  What 
have  you  got  to  say  ?  " 

"  Certainly  I  cannot  think  you  speak  seriously,  Major 
Monck,  and  I  must  say  that  your  jest  is  a  very  coarse  and 
brutal  one,  not  even  to  be  excused  upon  the  plea  of  intoxica- 
tion," said  Colonel  Kosenthal,  in  strong  disgust. 

"  I'm  blasted  if  I  ever  was  more  serious  or  more  sober  in 
my  life  !  It's  a  very  serious  and  sober  business,  let  me  tell 
you,  and  a  blamed  disagreeable  one  into  the  bargain  espec- 
ially at  night,  when  the  rites  have  to  be  solemnized  by 
torchlight.  We  might  wait  until  the  moon  rises,  only  we 
shall  be  obliged  to  get  away  from  here  under  cover  of  the 
darkness,  and  we  must  execute  you  before  we  move.  A 
devil  of  a  bore  !  I  had  no  idea,  when  I  invited  you  to  dine 
with  me,  that  I  should  have  to  finish  up  the  evening's 
entertainment  by  hanging  you.  But  you  see  how  it  is. 
Fortune  of  war.  Fortune  of  war." 

"  Major  Monck,  I  must  request  you,  if  you  please,  to 
desist  from  this  brutal  style  of  jesting,  which  is  certainly  as 
degrading  to  you  as  it  is  insulting  to  me,"  said  Colonel 
Rosenthal  with  calm  dignity. 


246  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

"  Jesting,  jesting,  say  you  !  Dashed  if  I  ever  felt  less 
like  jesting  in  my  life  !  blazes,  man,  don't  you  see  that  I'm 
in  blood  earnest  ?  But  come,  light  another  cigar.  Here's 
a  good  one ;  try  it — do.  We  have  plenty  of  time  ;  let's 
see,"  said  Monck,  pushing  a  fine  cigar  towards  his  prisoner, 
and  taking  out  his  watch  to  consult  it — "  Oh,  yes,  plenty  of 
time  to  smoke  another  cigar  apiece.  Let  us  make  ourselves 
comfortable.  It  is  now  only  five  minutes  past  eight,  and 
we  needn't  hang  you  until  nine  ;  that  will  give  us  an  hour 
to  finish  up  your  job  neatly,  and  then  get  away  under  cover 
of  the  darkness,  before  the  moon  rises  at  ten.  Come,  light 
your  weed,  and  let's  enjoy  each  other's  company  while  we 
can." 

"  Major  Monck,  if  you  will  persist  in  this  offensive  style 
of  joke,  I,  as  a  prisoner,  have  no  power  to  prevent  you.  So 
pray  proceed  until  you  become  tired.  And  don't  on  any 
account  cease  for  my  sake,  as  I  shall  not  give  myself  the 
trouble  to  listen  to  you,"  said  Justin,  drawing  a  paper  from 
his  pocket  and  beginning  to  read. 

"  Joke  !  Heaven  and  earth,  man  !  can't  you  see  that  this 
is  no  joke  !  Here  you  are  within — "  Monck  again  referred 
to  his  watch  and  then  continued — "within  fifty  minutes 
of  your  execution,  and  you  persist  in  calling  it  a  joke ! " 

Justin  Rosenthal  was  assuredly  a  brave  man.  He  had 
frequently  faced  death  fearlessly  even  in  its  most  fearful 
forms.  But  now,  as  a  conviction  of  Monck's  real  meaning 
forced  itself  upon  his  soul,  he  shuddered  in  spite  of  himself 
and  grew  a  shade  paler. 

"  Major  Monck,"  he  said,  gravely,  "  you  will  not  dare  to 
carry  out  your  design !  You  will  not  dare  to  commit  this 
cold-blooded  murder !  " 

"I  should  like  to  know  what  it  is  that  I  would  not  dare 
to  do  !  But  this  is  no  cold-blooded  murder,  Colonel  Kosen- 
thal.  For  reasons  that  appear  good  to  me  I  condemn  a 
prisoner  to  death  and  order  his  execution.  A  dashed  disa- 


THE      WHISPER.  247 

greeable  duty,  as  I  said  before — especially  when  it  has  to  be 
done  upon  a  man  one  has  been  dining  with.  I  had  no 
thought  of  winding  up  our  social  evening  in  this  way.  But 
you  heard  the  row  outside  ?  " 

"  I  heard  it,"  curtly  replied  Justin. 

"  Well,  it  was  about  you." 

«  Me !  " 

'•  Yes.  You  see  a  party  of  my  poor  fellows  went  out 
yesterday  to  intercept  some  Yankee  commissary  stores  that 
were  on  their  way  across  the  valley.  But  my  poor  boys 
were  themselves  intercepted  by  a  squadron  of  Yankee  cav- 
alry that  came  from  W.  to  look  after  them.  There  was 
an  engagement,  and  my  men  were  routed  with  considerable 
loss.  Some  were  taken  prisoners  ;  and  some  were  hung  up 
to  the  roadside  trees  to  dry  in  the  sun.  Those  who  escaped 
b}T  flight  rushed  into  the  camp  in  great  haste  and  disorder  this 
evening." 

"  Thank  Heaven  !  "  exclaimed  Justin. 

"Exactly;  but  you  see  this  thing  works  two  ways. 
For  instance,  when  they  learned  we  had  a  Yankee  colonel 
here  as  a  prisoner — you  heard  the  row  they  raised  ? — they 
called  for  your  life  in  retaliation  of  their  murdered  comrades. 
I  could  not  in  common  justice  refuse  them  so  reasonable  a 
request.  And  so,  Colonel  Rosenthal,"  said  Monck,  once 
more  coolly  consulting  his  watch,  "  as  it  is  now  half-past 
eight  o'clock,  you  have  'just  thirty  minutes  to  live.'  " 

"  Oh,  Heaven  !  "  groaned  Justin,  dropping  his  head  upon 
his  hands  and  thinking  of  his  young  sister  in  her  desolate 
orphanage,  and  of  another  still  dearer  than  that  sister,  and 
realizing  how  the  news  of  his  dreadful  doom  would  break 
those  loving  hearts. 

"  Come,  come,  man  alive  !  "  exclaimed  Monck,  heartily, 
"  don't  be  cast  down  because  you  are  going  to  be  strung  up  ! 
Fortune  of  war,  you  know  ;  and  it  may  be  iny  fate  to-morrow 
if  I  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  clock  peddlers  !  Come,  drink 


248  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

your  brandy — it  will  set  you  up.  And  here  :  take  something 
substantial  with  it,"  he  added,  rising  from  his  place  and 
going  to  the  side-table  to  bring  a  plate  of  biscuits. 

At  that  moment  Justin  felt  a  light  hand  laid  upon  his 
head.  He  looked  up  and  saw  Wing  standing  beside  him. 
The  boy  was  deadly  pale,  but  perfectly  calm. 

"  Listen,  my  Colonel,"  he  whispered :  "  there  is  one 
chance  left  to  you  for  life.  You  know  that  we  have  heard 
of  Monck, — how  he " 

The  remainder  of  the  sentence  was  breathed  into  the  ear 
of  Justin  Eosenthal,  whose  countenance  immediately 
cleared  up. 

"  You  have  saved  me  again,  Wing  !  But  you — you,  my 
boy  ?  "  he  exclaimed,  in  a  low  tone. 

"  Oh,  leave  me  to  myself  and  to  God  !  I  shall  be  safe — 
I  am  always  safe  !  Oh,  believe  it !  believe  it  when  I  swear 
it  to  you.  Hush  !  that  monster  is  coming  back  ! "  said 
Wing,  retreating  to  the  door. 

In  fact,  at  that  moment  Monck  did  return,  bringing  in 
one  hand  a  plate  of  biscuits,  and  in  the  other  a  plate  of 
cheese,  which  he  set  before  his  prisoner,  saying : 

"  Come  !  '  let  us  eat,  drink,  and  be  merry,  for  to-morrow 
we  die  ; '  or,  rather,  to-night,  at  least,  you  do !" 

"  All  right !  "  exclaimed  Justin,  laughing.  "  A  soldier 
must  be  ready  to  meet  death  at  any  moment  and  in  any 
manner.  Your  health,  Major  Monck !  "  he  added,  pouring 
a  little  brandy  into  his  glass. 

"  That's  your  sort !  That's  the  way  I  like  to  see  a  man 
meet  the  King  of  Terrors !  Come — I  will  pledge  you  in 
this  glass,  and  then  I  suppose  we  must  go  out  and  begin 
the  ceremonies.  Thunder  !  how  time  flies  !  It  is  actually 
a  quarter  to  nine.  We  must  make  haste,"  said  Monck, 
filling  his  glass  and  approaching  to  touch  the  glass  that 
Justin  held  towards  him. 

As  thf  glasses  clinked,  the  eyes  of  the  two  men  met}  and 


THE     WHISPER.  249 

Justin,  with  a  peculiar  gesture,  too  slight  to  be  noticed  by 
an  ordinary  observer,  raised  his  to  his  lips,  and  then  set  it 
down. 

The  glass  of  Monck  nearly  fell  from  his  hand.  He 
stared  steadily  at  his  prisoner  for  a  full  minute  and  then 
demanded : 

"  What  was  that  for  ?     Was  that  an  accident  or  not  ?  " 

"  What,  an  accident  ?  "  inquired  Justin,  innocently. 

"  That — that !  Are  you — But  nonsense  !  I  suppose  it 
was  an  accident.  Come,  Colonel  Kosenthal !  ten  minutes  to 
nine,  and  we  have  got  to  go  out.  Come  !  it  will  be  all  over 
in  a  few  minutes.  What  I  do  is  not  done  in  malice,  and  I 
hope  you  will  bear  no  malice  towards  me,"  said  Monck, 
rising  from  the  table. 

"  None  whatever.  In  pledge  of  which,  before  we  leave 
the  board,  let  us  shake  hands,"  said  Justin,  rising,  and 
offering  his  hand  to  the  guerrilla. 

"Quite  right!"  exclaimed  Monck,  heartily,  clapping  his 
fat  hand  into  the  extended  palm  of  Justin,  who  gave  it  a 
peculiar  grip  and  shake. 

Suddenly  Monck  sank  down  into  his  seat  as  if  he  had 
been  shot. 

"  Then  it  wasn't  an  accident !  "  he  exclaimed,  staring  at 
his  intended  victim. 

«  No." 

"  And  you  are — " 

«  Yes." 

"  Then  I'm  dashed  if  I  can  hang  you  !  And  a  devil  of  a 
dilemma  it  places  me  in  !  "  muttered  the  guerrilla  chieftain, 
placing  his  great  hands  upon  his  knees,  and  dropping  his 
head  upon  his  breast  in  deep  thought. 

Justin  resumed  his  seat,  and  sat  as  calmly  as  if  he  had 
been  at  his  own  table,  for  he  felt  that  he  was  now  as  safe  as 
if  he  had  been  in  his  own  camp. 

"  And  time  is  flying  !     And  presently  some  of  the  men 


£50  HOW      HE      WON     HER. 

who  were  charged  with  the  preparations  for  the  execution 
will  be  at  the  door,  to  tell  me  that  all  is  ready,  and  to  ask 
for  the  prisoner !  And  in  their  present  state  of  excitement, 
the  rascals — the  mutinous  rascals — would  take  you  out  and 
hang  you  whether  I  like  it  or  don't  like  it ;  a  devil  of  a 
dilemma !  I  had  better  get  you  off  from  here  as  quietly  as 
possible — eh,  Colonel  Eosenthal  ?  " 

"  As  you  like.     It  is  your  affair,"  said  Justin,  coolly. 

Monck  scratched  his  head,  repeating  at  intervals  : 

"  A  devil  of  a  dilemma  !  " 

Then  he  got  up  and  went  to  the  door  and  spoke  to  the 
sentinel  on  duty  there,  saying : 

"  Eushley,  pass  the  word  for  Captain  Bannister  to  come 
here." 

Then  he  began  to  walk  uneasily  up  and  down  the  floor. 

In  a  very  few  minutes  Captain  Bannister  came  in,  wear- 
ing a  grave  and  anxious  expression  of  countenance. 

Monck  met  him  near  the  door,  drew  his  arm  within  his 
own,  and  walked  him  off  towards  one  of  windows  ;  but  not 
until  Justin  had  heard  Bannister  say,  in  a  low  voice  : 

"  Nothing  has  occurred  since  my  connection  with  this 
band  that  has  so  seriously  distressed  me  as  the  doom  of  this 
gentleman.  Major  Monck,  if  it  be  possible,  save  him!  His 
execution  would  cover  us  with  obloquy." 

"  That  is  just  what  I  sent  for  you  to  consult  about,"  an- 
swered Monck,  as  they  both  passed,  arm  in  arm,  out  of 
Justin's  hearing. 

They  stood  within  the  recess  of  the  window,  conversing 
in  a  low  tone,  for  some  ten  or  fifteen  minutes,  at  the  end  of 
which  Monck  nodded  his  head  and  approached  the  table. 
He  took  writing  materials  from  the  drawer,  sat  down  and 
hastily  scratched  off  a  few  lines  on  a  slip  of  paper,  which  he 
handed  to  Captain  Bannister,  saying  : 

"  You  will  leave  this  room  by  the  back  door,  which  will 
take  you  into  the  back  yard.  Go  then  through  the  garden 


THE     WHISPER.  251 

and  orchard,  and  around  by  the  old  field,  and  so  make  a 
circuit  to  the  ferry.  In  that  way  you  will  escape  showing 
your  prisoner  to  the  disaffected  men  who  have  come  in  from 
that  luckless  expedition.  As  for  the  other  men,  it  does  not 
matter,  as  they  are  not  nearly  so  blood-thirsty  !  The  devil 
is  in  it  that  I  should  have  to  pass  a  prisoner  out  of  camp  in 
this  surreptitious  way.  No  matter.  "Wait  until  we  join  our 
forces  with  that  of  Goldsborough  and  the  Free  Sword,  and 
we  will  see  whether  better  discipline  cannot  be  maintained 
among  these  wild  colts." 

Captain  Bannister  received  the  written  paper  with  a  bow 
and  then  turned  towards  Justin. 

"  Colonel  Eosenthal,"  said  Monck,  "  I  place  you  in  the 
hands  of  Captain  Bannister,  who  will  see  you  safely  beyond 
our  lines." 

Justin  bowed  grimly,  and  then  inquired : 

"  My  two  orderlies  ?  " 

"  Their  lives  will  be  safe.  We  don't  hang  children !  We 
shall  hold  them  prisoners  until  they  are  exchanged.  And 
now,  for  Heaven's  sake,  be  off  with  yourself,  and  leave  me 
to  settle  with  those  howling  furies  outside." 

Thus  urged,  Justin  followed  Captain  Bannister,  who  con- 
ducted him  through  the  back  door  into  a  back  yard,  where 
they  mounted  two  horses  that  stood  ready  saddled  and 
bridled ;  and  thence  they  rode  through  the  garden  and  the 
orchard,  and  round  where  the  edge  of  the  woods  skirted  the 
old  field,  and  by  that  covered  path  to  the  ferry,  where  they 
were  challenged  by  the  sentinel  on  duty. 

Bannister  gave  the  countersign,  and  passed  with  his 
companion. 

The  old  ferryman  came  out  of  his  house  at  the  captain's 
summons,  and  got  his  boat  ready.  And  in  a  few  minutes 
Justin  was  safely  landed  on  the  other  side  of  the  river. 
His  guard,  however,  did  not  leave  him  until  they  had  passed 
all  the  pickets,  and  reached  the  extreme  outposts  of  the 
guerrillas'  encampment. 


252  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

Then  Captain  Bannister  took  from  his  pocket  the  paper 
that  Monck  had  given  him,  and  handed  it  to  Justin,  say- 
ing: 

"  In  case  you  should  meet  with  any  scouts  of  our  band, 
you  have  only  to  show  them  this  paper,  and  you  will  pass 
unmolested." 

Justin  took  the  paper  with  a  bow,  and  then  thanked 
Captain  Bannister  for  all  his  courtesy. 

"  You  will  follow  this  path  through  the  wood  until  you 
reach  the  turnpike  road  leading  to  W. — the  same  road  upon 
which  our  men  first  surprised  you,"  said  Captain  Ban- 
nister. 

"  Thanks  !  All  right.  I  shall  find  the  way,"  answered 
Justin. 

And  the  two  men  parted — Captain  Bannister  returning 
towards  the  camp  and  Colonel  Rosenthal  proceeding  on  his 
way. 

It  was  the  same  dark  and  narrow  path,  through  the  thick, 
impenetrable  forest,  that  he  had  travelled  as  a  prisoner  on 
the  night  previous.  And  his  progress  was  of  course  as  slow 
and  difficult  now  as  it  had  been  then. 

His  soul  was  troubled,  too,  for  the  boys  he  had  left  behind. 
He  was  somewhat  comforted  by  the  assurance  of  Monck 
that  their  lives  should  be  safe,  and  he  was  cheered  by  the 
recollection  of  Wing's  words  ;  but  still  he  was  most  anxious 
to  get  on  to  W.,  that  he  might  at  once  see  to  the  exchange 
of  the  prisoners. 

Two  hours  of  slow  riding  brought  him  to  the  high  road, 
upon  which  he  emerged  just  as  the  moon  was  rising,  and 
flooding  all  the  valley  with  light.' 

Here,  where  there  was  no  obstruction,  he  put  spurs  to  his 
horse,  and  flew  along  at  a  furious  rate  of  speed  for  several 
miles,  when  suddenly  his  horse  fell  lame. 

He  dismounted,  and  examined  the  creature's  feet,  hoping 
that  he  should  find  a  pebble,  or  some  transient  irritation  of 


THE     WHISPER.  *          253 

that  sort,  the  removal  of  which  should  restore  the  horse  to 
the  free  use  of  his  limbs.  But  he  found  nothing,  and  was 
at  length  forced  to  give  up  the  search  in  the  belief  that  the 
cause  of  lameness  was  something  more  serious  and  perma- 
nent than  he  had  supposed.  Justin  was  as  merciful  as  he 
was  courageous.  He  did  not  mount  again ;  but,  taking  the 
bridle  in  his  hand,  walked  on,  leading  the  steed  after  him. 

In  this  manner  he  had  progressed  slowly  over  another 
mile  of  the  road,  when  he  suddenly  heard  the  clatter  of 
horse's  hoofs  behind,  and  the  next  moment  Wing  rode  up, 
and  drew  rein  beside  him. 

"  Wing  !  "  he  joyfully  exclaimed. 

"  Yes,  my  Colonel,  Wing.  I  am  like  the  bad  penny, 
always  coming  back  to  you,"  said  the  lad  gayly,  as  he  dis- 
mounted, and  leading  his  horse,  walked  by  his  colonel's 
side. 

"  Oh,  my  dear  boy !  I  am  so  delighted  to  see  you  safe  ! 
But  how  does  it  happen  that  you  are  here  ?  " 

"  My  Colonel,  it  is  easily  explained.  After  I  had  given 
you  that  hint — 

— "  Ah,  yes — that  hint,  my  boy !  It  saved  my  life. 
And  that  is  the  third  time  you  have  come  between  me  and 
certain  death,  my  child,"  said  Justin,  earnestly. 

"  I  was  going  to  say  that  after  I  left  the  room,  the  guards, 
obeying  orders  that  had  been  given  them,  no  doubt,  took  me 
up  into  a  back  attic  and  locked  me  in." 

"  Humph  ! " 

"  It  was  a  place  of  utter  darkness,  and  at  first  I  could 
not  see  my  hand  before  me.  But  gradually  as  my  eyes  be- 
came accustomed  to  the  scene,  I  made  out  the  form  of  a 
dormer  window.  While  I  was  straining  my  eyes  towards 
that  square  of  thinner  darkness,  for  it  was  no  more,  I  heard 
a  scraping  and  scratching  on  the  outside  of  the  window." 

"Well?" 

"  I  went  to  see  what  it  meant.     I  found  that  the  noise 


254  '  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

proceeded  from  the  branch  of  a  tall  elm  tree  that  was  blown 
by  the  wind  across  the  window.  Then  a  means  of  escape 
suggested  itself  to  me.  I  tried  the  window  and  found  that 
I  could  hoist  it.  Then  I  peered  out  and  perceived  that 
with  a  little  dexterity  I  might  seize  the  branch  of  the  elm 
and  swing  myself  into  the  body  of  the  tree,  from  whence  I 
could  easily  get  down  to  the  ground." 

"  A  dangerous  experiment." 

"But  I  had  no  other  alternative,  than  to  try  it.  I 
turned  back  into  the  room  and  felt  my  way  along  the  wall 
until  I  came  to  the  door.  I  felt  up  and  down  the  door  to 
find  whether  there  was  any  fastening  by  which  I  could 
secure  it  on  the  inside.  I  found  a  strong  iron  "bolt.  And  I 
immediately  bolted  it,  so  that  if  any  one  should  come,  they 
should  not  at  once  discover  my  flight." 

"  Your  old  precaution,  Wing." 

"  Yes,  sir.  Then  I  went  to  the  window,  got  out  upon 
the  sill,  seized  the  branches  of  the  elm  and  swung  myself 
into  the  body  of  the  tree,  from  which  I  climbed  down  to 
the  ground.  The  back  part  of  the  encampment  is  not 
strongly  guarded,  you  know.  By  creeping  and  crawling 
through  the  bushes  and  keeping  in  the  deep  shadows,  I 
reached  at  last  a  path  skirting  the  wood.  I  came  along 
under  the  shadow  of  the  wood  until  I  heard  a  horseman 
galloping  towards  me.  Then  I  took  out  the  little  revolver 
that  I  had  carried  safely  in  my  bosom  through  all  my  ad- 
ventures, and  I  cocked  it  to  have  it  in  readiness." 

"Ah!" 

"  The  horseman  came  on,  saw  me  and  ordered  me  to  halt. 
I  replied  with  my  revolver.  And  he  dropped  from  his 
saddle.  I  went  up  and  seized  the  horse  by  the  bridle  while 
I  disengaged  the  foot  of  the  rider  from  the  stirrup.  Then, 
still  holding  the  horse  by  the  bridle  with  one  hand,  I  rifled 
tV  pockets  of  the  rider  with  the  other.  I  took  from  them 
no.i.iiig  Lut  a  box  of  wax  matches  and  a  written  paper 
which  I  found  contained  the  countersign.  Then  I  mounted 


THE      WHISPER.  255 

the  horse  and  rode  down  to  the  ferry,  gave  the  countersign 
to  the  sleepy  sentinel  and  to  the  tipsy  ferryman,  and  was 
put  across  the  river  without  difficulty.  I  made  the  best  of 
my  way  through  the  forest,  giving  the  countersign  wherever 
challenged,  until  I  passed  heyond  Monck's  lines  and  reached 
the  high-road.  And  here  I  am." 

"  Wing,  I  have  heard  of  a  charmed  life,  but  you  seem  to 
possess  a  charmed  liberty.  There  is  no  such  thing  as  keep- 
ing you  a  prisoner.  But  this  rider  whom  you  shot  from 
his  horse.  Do  you  know  who  he  was,  my  boy  ?  "  inquired 
Justin,  uneasily. 

"  Yes,  sir.     Captain  Bannister." 

"  Oh,  Wing,  what  a  fatal  necessity  !  I  am  so  sorry  !  He 
was  a  gallant  fellow,  if  he  was  a  guerrilla.  And  he  was  re- 
turning from  seeing  me  safe  through  the  lines  ! " 

"  I  am  sorry  too,  sir,  but  it  couldn't  be  helped.  And  if 
the  thing  was  to  be  done  over  again,  I  should  have  to  do  it 
over  again,"  said  Wing  with  a  sigh. 

"  Where  is  your  comrade  ?  Where  is  Hay  ?  "  inquired 
Colonel  Kosenthal. 

"  I  do  not  know,  sir.  I  have  not  seen  him  since  we  ate 
our  supper  together  this  evening,  but  I  presume  he  is  still 
in  the  guerrilla  camp.  But  what  is  the  matter  with  your 
horse,  sir  ?  " 

"  He  has  fallen  lame,  Wing." 

"  A  pebble  in  his  shoe,  perhaps  ?  " 

"  No ;  I  have  examined  carefully ;  there  is  nothing  of  the 
kind." 

"  Will  you  let  me  look,  sir  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  if  you  like,"  said  the  colonel,  taking  the 
bridles  of  both  horses  in  his  hands  so  as  to  leave  Wing  at 
liberty  to  make  the  examination  he  wished. 

"  See  here,  sir.  It  was  not  a  pebble,  but  it  was  some- 
thing worse,"  said  the  boy,  drawing  a  thorn  from  the 
horse's  foot,  and  holding  it  up  to  view. 


256  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

"  Now,  then,  why  couldn't  I  have  seen  that  ?  "  exclaimed 
Justin,  in  some  surprise  and  impatience. 

"  Because  it  was  not  easy  to  be  seen,  sir.  I  did  not  see 
it.  I  felt  it  with  the  ends  of  my  fingers." 

"  You  have  a  very  delicate  touch,  Wing — as  delicate  as  a 


woman  s. 


"  I  think  you  can  mount  your  horse  now,  sir.  I  think 
he  will  go  without  trouble,"  said  the  hoy. 

"  And  Colonel  Rosenthal  got  into  his  saddle  and  rode  on 
towards  W.,  followed  by  his  favorite  orderly. 

Day  was  breaking  when  they  rode  into  the  town. 

They  went  immediately  to  the  head  quarters  of  Gen- 
eral W.,  to  whom  Colonel  Eosenthal  reported. 

Active  preparations  were  set  on  foot  in  W.  for  an  expedi- 
tion against  the  guerrilla  bands  who  were  now  ascertained  to 
have  joined  forces  at  the  Black  Bear's  Pass,  from  which 
point  they  were  preparing  to  make  a  descent  upon  Mary- 
land. 

Ar»d  now  it  is  time  to  return  to  Elfie,  and  see  how  she 
faree  "'"tli  her  wild  lover. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE   MOUNTAIN    CAMP. 

Now,  my  co-mates  and  brothers  in  this  cause, 
Hath  not  our  custom  made  this  life  more  sweet 
Than  that  of  city  pomp  ?    Are  not  these  .rocks 
More  free  from  peril  than  the  envious  town? 
Here  we  but  feel  the  penalty  of  Adam— 
The  seasons'  difference,  as  the  frosty  fancy 
And  churlish  chiding  of  the  winter's  wind  ; 
Which,  when  it  bites  and  blows  upon  my  body, 
Even  till  I  shrink  with  cold,  I  smile  and  say— 
This  is  no  flattery  ;  these  are  counsellors 
That  feelingly  persuade  me  what  I  am.—  SHXKSP 


WHILE  Vittorio  and  Alberta  talked  together  outside  the 
door,  Elfie  entered  the  leafy  hut  and  threw  herself  down 


THE     MOUNTAIN      CAMP. 


257 


upon  the  fragrant  pallet  that  had  been  spread  for  her 
accommodation. 

Her  shelter  was  like  a  fairy  bower.  Wherever  she 
stretched  her  hands  out  towards  the  walls,  or  the  floor,  or 
the  ceiling,  she  found  leaves.  Yet  the  hut  was  not  so  com- 
pactly built  as  to  prevent  the  moonbeams  from  shining  in 
between  the  loosely  woven  pine  boughs  ;  so  the  place  was 
dappled  over  with  spots  of  moonlight ;  and  filled  with  the 
fragrance  of  pine  blooms ;  and  cheered  with  the  chirp  of 
insects  that  sung  from  every  twig. 

Elfie  lay  and  rested  well,  luxuriously ;  but  she  could  not 
sleep.  Outside  they  were  beating  the  tattoo,  and  the  guer- 
rillas were  putting  away  their  horses  or  hurrying  to  their 
quarters;  and  the  rolling  of  the  drums,  the  prancing  of  the 
steeds,  and  the  tramping  of  the  men  would  have  kept  Elfie 
awake,  even  if  her  own  troubled  thoughts  had  not  banished 
sleep  from  her  eyes. 

"  It  is  just  what  that  wretch  said  !  "  thought  Elfie — "  it  is 
just  as  if  I  had  lost  my  footing  on  the  nineteenth  century 
and  slipped  down  into  the  tenth,  and  lighted  in  Epping  For- 
est, in  the  days  of  bold  Eobin  Hood  and  his  merry  men. 
What  a  place  for  a  civilized  and  Christian  girl  to  find  herself 
in  ! — the  lair  of  outlaws  ;  for  I  really  do  suppose  the  guerrillas 
are  no  better  !  Not  that  the  life  would  be  so  bad  either  if 
it  were  not  for  the  cause — '  the  CAUSE,  my  soul ! '  No  bed 
was  ever  softer  or  more  elastic  than  this  pallet  spread  upon 
the  leaves  ;  no  air  was  ever  so  sweet  as  this  that  comes  laden 
with  the  fragrance  of  the  mountain'  forest ;  and  no  serenade 
was  ever  so  soothing  as  the  small  sing-song  of  these  little 
m'nstrels  of  the  bark.  If  this  were  only  a  Union  ca-rnp, 
and  Albert  were  a  patriot,  how  happy  I  would  be !  If — 
if » 

And  here  Elfie,  pierced  to  the  soul  by  the  poignant 
thought  of  what  "  might  have,  been,"  began  to  weep. 

"  Good  night,  dearest,  good  night !   Remember  if  you  needs 
16 


258  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

must  go  upon  this  expedition,  I  go  with  you.  At  noon-day 
or  at  midnight,  it  matters  not  to  me  ;  I  shall  be  ready.  No 
toils,  no  perils,  no  privations  shall  dismay  me,  Vittorio  !  I 
dread  but  one  evil  in  this  world  :  separation  from  you  ;  and 
that  evil  you  have  promised  that  I  shall  never  suffer.  Be- 
member,  dearest,  remember !  " 

These  were  the  words  addressed  to  the  Free  Sword  b}y  hrs 
devoted  wife  before  she  left  him,  raised  the  curtain,  and  en- 
tered the  hut. 

She  found  Elfie  still  sobbing.  She  went  and  knelt  down 
by  the  pallet,  and  gently  inquired : 

«  Why,  Elfie— Elfie,  dear  !  what  is  the  matter  ?  Why 
should  you  weep  ?  Why  should  any  one  weep  whose  best 
beloved  is  nob-  in  deadly  peril  as  mine  is  ?  Speak  to  me, 
Elfie  !  Tell  me  why  you  weep  so  much." 

"  It  is  abou — out  that  wretch  Go — oldsborough  !  "  sobbed 
Elfie.  "  Not  because  he  has  brought  me  off  by  force.  I  am 
not  thinking  of  that  now;  for  if  he  had  been  true  to  his 
country,  he  needn't  have  brought  me  off  by  strength  of  arm. 
I  would  have  accompanied  him  willingly  anywhere — any- 
where over  the  earth  :  into  the  camp — into  the  wilderness — 
into  the  battle  !  For  you  know,  Alberta,  that  we  women 
who  scream  at  the  sight  of  a  black  beetle,  can  nevertheless 
face  a  battery  by  the  side  of  one  we  love  !  And  if  he  ha/1 
been  loyal — oh  !  if  he  had  been  loyal,  I  should  have  loved 
him  so  well ! — I  should  have  honored  him  so  greatly  !  And 
if  he  should  have  been  fated  to  come  out  of  the  war  with 
the  loss  of  both  his  arms  and  both  his  legs,  I  should  still 
have  married  him.  Yes — and  a  thousand  times  yos  !  I 
would  all  the  sooner  have  married  him  that  I  might  be 
hands  and  feet  to  him  forever.  But  he  has  lost  his  iroxon, 
Alberta.  And  oh  !  you  do  not  know  it,  perhaps — you  cannot 
understand,  it  may  be ;  but  his  treason — his  treason  was 
the  heaviest  blow  that  ever  fell  upon  me,  and  to-night  it 
weighs  heavy  as  lead  upon  my  heart.  Oh  !  if  he  had  been 
true — oh  !  if  he  had  been  true  !  " 


4 
THE     MOUNTAIN     CAMP.  259 

"Elfie,"  said  Alberta,  gently  and  soothingly,  "by  this 
vehement  outburst  of  sorrow,  I  perceive  that  you  love  Al- 
bert still." 

"  I  do  not !  I  love  no  traitor  ! "  passionately  broke  forth 
the  girl. 

"  Elfie  !  how  can  you  speak  so  unjustly  and  cruelly  of  your 
lover ! " 

"  I  speak  truly  of  him! " 

"  Elfie  !  let  me  say  one  word  in  Albert's  defence ! " 

"What  is  it?" 

«  He  thinks  he  is  right !  " 

"  Oh,  Alberta  !  how  can  he  think  so  ?  How  can  any  man 
think  so." 

"  He  thinks  he  is  right,  as  many  a  gallant  leader  in  the 
Confederate  army  thinks  !  To  his  idea  of  right  he  has  sac- 
rificed all  that  he  possesses  on  earth,  as  many  a  Southern 
patriot  has  done  ! " 

"  Alberta !  we  have  talked  of  this  before.  We  have  been 
over  and  over  the  argument  until  my  heart  and  soul  are  both 
sick  of  it !  And  besides,  you  may  preach  all  day  and  yet 
you  will  never  make  me  believe  that  light  is  darkness,  or 
that  treason  is  patriotism  !  Bosh !  Who  do  you  think  is  a 
fool  ?  "  snapped  Elfie,  abruptly  turning  her  face  away. 

"  I  think  every  narrow-minded  and  prejudiced  person  is  a 
fool,  for  that  matter,  Elfie  !  I  do  not  wish  to  convince  you 
of  anything  in  particular,  Elfie  !  I  only  wish  to  engage 
your  charitable  construction  for  those  who  happen  to  differ 
from  you  in  opinion — and  especially  for  the  lover,  of  whom 
it  pains  you  so  much  to  think  ill." 

Elfie  made  no  reply,  but  with  her  face  to  the  wall,  con- 
tinued so  sob. 

Alberta  tried  to  soothe  her,  but  in  vain,  for  Elfie  was 
inconsolable. 

Nevertheless,  the  chieftain's  wife  sat  by  the  pallet  until 
her  guest  had  sobbed  herself  to  sleep,  and  slept  like  a  tired 
child. 


260  HOW      HE      WON     HER. 

Then  the  unhappy  lady  threw  herself  upon  her  own  bed, 
and  fell  into  a  fitful  slumber. 

Elfie  slept  long  and  well,  and  did  not  awake  until  the 
beating  of  the  reveille  aroused  her. 

"  It  is  like  enchantment,"  she  said,  sitting  up  on  her 
pallet,  and  gazing  around  on  the  leafy  walls  of  her  hut, 
through  the  interstices  of  which  the  first  rays  of  the  rising 
sun  pierced  redly. 

Alberta  was  already  up  and  dressed.  She  brought  a 
clean  towel  and  some  water  in  a  broken  bowl,  and  set  them 
before  her  guest,  saying  with  a  smile  : 

"  You  must  make  the  best  toilet  you  can  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, my  dear.  We  are  not  even  so  well  off  here  as 
we  were  at  the  old  mansion  house." 

Elfie  followed  the  advice  of  her  hostess  as  well  as  she 
could.  And  by  the  time  she  had  washed  her  face  and 
arranged  her  hair  and  her  dress,  Alberta  was  ready  to  take 
her  out,  where,  upon  the  dried  grass  before  the  hut,  a  sub- 
stantial breakfast  was  spread. 

The  Free  Sword  joined  them  at  the  meal. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  tell  you,  Miss  Fielding,"  he  said,  with  a 
bow  to  Elfie,  "that  Colonel  Goldsborough  has  left  the 
camp  for  an  absence  of  several  days." 

Elfie  looked  up  in  surprise. 

"  He  has  left  you  in  our  charge,  and  I  need  scarcely  say 
that  we  will  do  all  in  our  power  to  make  you  comfortable," 
he  continued. 

"  I  thank  you  very  much,  Colonel  Corsoni,  for  your  news. 
I  am  very  glad  to  hear  that  the  kidnapper  has  taken  his 
departure.  And  I  fervently  pray  he  may  never  return," 
said  Elfie. 

Vittorio  Corsoni  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"He  may  never  return,  indeed,  Miss  Fielding,  for  the 
duty  he  has  voluntarily  assumed  is  one  of  great  danger  as 
well  as  of^reat  honor." 


THE      MOUNTAIN      CAMP.  261 

"  Oh,  no  fear  for  him.  He  will  be  back  again  all  too 
soon  and  too  surely.  It  is  absolutely  wonderful  what  care 
Satan  takes  of  his  own,"  said  Elfie. 

Again  Vittorio  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  the  conversa- 
tion ended.  And  soon  after  the  breakfast  came  to  a  close, 
and  Corsoni  arose  and  left  the  spot. 

All  that  day,  men  in  large  munbers  continued  to  arrive 
at  the  rendezvous — some  who  were  returning  stragglers, 
Borne  who  had  been  absent  on  leave,  and  some  who  were 
new  recruits.  All  that  day  there  were  company  drills  in 
various  parts  of  the  camp. 

During  the  afternoon  Alberta  and  Elfie  took  a  ramble 
through  the  wild  wood  that  encircled  the  camp,  but  came 
back  to  their  green  hut  in  time  for  the  early  tea  that  Aber- 
shaw  had  prepared,  and  at  which  the  Free  Sword  joined 
them. 

And  Elfie's  second  night  on  the  mountain  passed  very 
much  as  the  first  had  done. 

Several  days  went  by  in  this  manner,  and  still  new  men 
continued  to  come  and  swell  the  numbers  of  the  band. 

But  Albert  Goldsborough  did  not  return,  npr  did  Monck, 
whose  arrival  was  daily  expected,  make  his  appearance. 

Elfie  could  perceive  that  the  Free  Sword  was  growing 
extremely  anxious  on  the  subject  of  the  prolonged  absence 
of  the  two  guerrilla  leaders.  , 

Elfie  kept  a  sharp  look-out.  And  on  the  seventh  day  of 
Goldsborough 's  absence,  she  discovered  that  Colonel  Corsoni 
sent  out  scouts  on  the  perilous  duty  of  looking  after  the 
missing  men. 

On  the  morning  of  the  eighth  day,  Elfie  was  as  usual 
aroused  by  the  rolling  of  the  reveille. 

She  arose  and  began  to  arrange  her  dress,  while  waiting 
for  Alberta,  whom  she  did  not  see,  but  who,  she  naturally 
supposed,  had,  as  usual,  left  the  hut  to  procure  water  for 
their  morning  ablutions. 


262  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

While  Elfie  was  fastening  her  boddice,  she  saw  the  cur- 
tain of  her  doorway  lifted,  and  a  bowl  of  water  and  a  clean 
towel  pushed  into  the  hut.  N 

She  took  them  and  began  to  wash  her  face  and  hands, 
still  momentarily  expecting  the  appearance  of  Alberta,  at 
whose  prolonged  absence  she  was  beginning  to  wonder. 

At  length,  when  she  was  quite  ready  for  breakfast,  and  a 
little  tired  of -waiting  for  \lberta,  she  lifted  the  curtain  of 
her  doorway,  and  passed  out  of  the  hut. 

There,  to  her  surprise,  she  found  a  breakfast  arranged  for 
one,  and  Hutchison  as  waiter,  in  attendance. 

"  What  is  the  meaning  of  this,  you  monstrous  villain  ? 
Where  is  Madame  Corsoni  ?  And  how  dare  you  show  your 
face  before  me  ?  "  indignantly  demanded  Elfie. 

"  One  question  at  a  time,  young  lady,  if  you  please.  The 
meaning  of  this  is  your  breakfast,  with  me  to  serve  it. 
Madame  Corsoni  has  gone  with  her  husband,  who,  at  the 
head  of  all  his  command,  left  the  camp  at  midnight.  I 
show  my  face  to  tell  you  this,"  answered  Mutchison 
grimly. 

"  Alberta  gone  ! "  breathlessly  exclaimed  Elfie. 

"  Yes  ;  she  always  goes  with  her  husband.  I  wish  to  the 
Lord  I  had  such  a  wife." 

"  Heaven  and  earth !  what  will  become  of  me  ? " 
exclaimed  Elfie,  in  a  greater  panic  than  she  had  ever  yet 
experienced. 

"Matrimony  will  become  of  you,  my  dear  young  lady. 
Colonel  Goldsborough  arrived  here  last  night,  some  three 
hours  before  the  departure  of  the  Eree  Sword.  He  brought 
the  marriage  license  from  the  county  court  house  with  him. 
And  he  is  now  making  active  preparations  for  the  wedding, 
which  must  take  place  before  we  march,  which  we  shall  do 
at  sharp  noon.  Come,  young  lady.  I  can  imagine  that  a 
bride  has  but  little  appetite  on  the  morning  of  her  wedding 
day.  But  allow  me  at  least  to-  pour  out  for  you  a  cup  of 


THE     MOUNTAIN     CAMP.  26 

"  You  monster  !  you  miscreant !  I  would  see  you  and 
your  master  both  in  the  deepest  pit  of  perdition,  before  I 
would  take  anything  from  you  !  "  furiously  exclaimed  Elfie, 
dashing  the  cup  of  coffee  from  the  hand  of  Mutchison,  and 
turning  and  rushing  into  the  hut. 

But  ah  !  she  had  no  means  of  fastening  frerself  within, 
or  keeping  any  one  else  without,  that  frail  shelter.  Nothing 
but  a  curtain  hung  between  her  and  her  pursuers. 

And  that  curtain  was  presently  lifted  by  Albert  Goldsbor- 
ough,  who  entered  the  hut  and  stood  before  his  beloved. 

Elfie  whirled  around  upon  him  and  stood  like  a  stag  at 
bay. 

"  Wretch  !  coward  !  miscreant !  shame  on  you  for  forcing 
yourself  into  my  presence,  where  I  have  no  means  of  keep- 
ing you  out !  "  she  fiercely  exclaimed. 

"  Elfie  !  nonsense,  my  darling  !  You  know  that  I  love 
you  more  than  life ;  and  you  know  that  I  know  you  love 
me ;  and  so 

But  before  Albert  Goldsborough  had  got  off  half  of  this 
fine  speech,  Elfie,  who  was  resolved  not  to  remain  alone  with 
him  for  a  moment,  had  bounded  past  him  and  through  the 
door- way,  to  find  herself — on  the  bosom  of  Mutchison,  who 
had  spread  out  his  arms  to  intercept  her  flight.  Elfie  im- 
mediately drove  her  nails  into  his  face. 

"  Catamountains  !  Here  !  take  her  off  me,  colonel !  I 
wouldn't  so  much  mind  if  she  was  my  own  sweetheart ;  but 
I'm  dashed  if  I  like  to  be  clapper-clawed  by  yours  !  It 
don't  pay !  It's  all  thorns  and  no  roses ! "  laughed  the 
giant,  as  he  tore  Elfie  away  from  his  face  and  held  her  at 
arm's  length  towards  Goldsborough,  who  snatched  her  to 
his  heart  and  began  to  speak  to  her. 

But  Elfie  stuck  her  fingers  in  her  ears  and  screamed  until 
she  woke  all  the  mountain  echoes. 

Then  Albert  threw  his  right  arm  around  her,  and  brought 
down  her  hands  from  her  ears  and  held  them  firmly  with 


264  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

his  right  hand,  while  with  his  left  he  covered  her  lips  to 
^t-,p  hi-r  shrieks,  and  forte  her  to  hear  him. 

"Elfie,"  he  said,  "you  know  that  I  love  you  more  than 
life.  And  you  know  that /know  you  love  me.  And  it  is 
right  that  we  should  be  married ;  but  right  or  wrong,  I  am 
resolved  to  marry  you  to-day.  Listen,  you  mad  girl ! 
Here  you  are  in  a  guerrilla  camp ;  the  only  woman  in  it. 
You  have  no  longer  Alberta's  protection.  And  unless  you 
have  a  husband,  what  is  to  become  of  your  good  name  ? 
What  do  you  suppose  people  will  say  of  you  ?  "  he  demand- 
ed, removing  his  hand  from  her  lips. 

"  What  do  I  suppose  people  will  say  of  me  ?  What  do 
you  suppose  I  care  ?  Could  they  say  worse  of  me  than 
that  I  should  be  your  wife  ? "  fiercely  demanded  Elfie, 
struggling  vainly  to  free  herself. 

"  Yes,  Elfie.  You  know  very  well  that  they  may  say  far 
worse  of  you  than  that,  iinless  I  prevent  them.  But  they 
never  shall  say  it,  Elfie.  I  have  got  the  marriage  license 
and  the  wedding  ring,  and  the  minister  is  in  my  hut,  only 
waiting  my  message  to  come  and  marry  us." 

"  Xo  minister  will  ever  marry  us  against  my  consent !  " 

"  Elfie,  I  have  said  that  to  the  Eeverend  Mr.  Simmons 
which  convinces  him  that  it  is  duty  to  marry  us.  Come, 
Mutchison ;  we  have  no  more  time  to  lose.  Go  fetch  the 
parson/'  ordered  Albert  Goldsborough. 

The  giant  started  on  the  errand. 

"  Ho  !  "  called  Goldsborough  after  him. 

Mutchison  looked  back. 

"  Don't  let  any  of  the  men  know  what's  up.  We  don't 
want  to  afford  them  a  spectacle  in  camp.  See  that  they  are 
kept  at  a  proper  distance  from  this." 

"  All  right,  sir,"  said  the  giant,  striding  on  his  way. 

Albert  Goldsborough  raised  Elfie  in  his  anus  and  bore 
her  into  the  hut. 

"  Mind  this  ! "  said  Elfie,  whose  very  lips  were  white 


THE     MOUNTAIN      CAMP.  265 

with  rage,  while  her  black  eyes  seemed  to  scintillate  sparks 
of  fire — "  mind  this,  Albert  Goldsborough  !  If  you  persist 
in  this  purpose,  and  if  you  succeed  in  carrying  it  out — I 
will  kill  you!-" 

"  Perhaps  you  will,  Elfie.  You  really  look  as  if  you 
would ;  but  I  will  risk  it,"  said  Albert,  firmly. 

Presently  Mutdhison  returned  to  the  hut,  and  said : 

"  The  parson  is  coming,  sir." 

"  Mutchison,  come  here,"  said  Albert  Goldsborough. 

And  the  giant  came  to  his  side. 

"  Mutchison,  there  was  once  a  princess  of  France  who 
was  as  obstinately  opposed  to  matrimony  as  our  bride  here. 
Even  when  this  princess  stood  with  her  intended  husband 
before  the  altar  she  refused  to  say  '  Yes '  to  the  all  impor- 
tant question  as  to  whether  she  would  take  that  man  to  be 
her  wedded  husband.  So  her  father  went  behind  her,  put  his 
hands  upon  her  obstinate  little  head  and  bent  it  forward  with 
a  nod  of  assent." 

"  And  '  a  nod  is  as  good  as  a  wink,'  "  said  Mutchison. 

"  Certainly — and  better,  in  these  instances ;  for  it  is  a  sign 
of  affirmation  and  means  yes." 

"  The  parson  is  at  the  door,  sir,"  exclaimed  Mutchison, 
seeing  a  shadow  move  before  the  curtain. 

"Well,  let  him  wait  a  moment,  until  I  explain  your  part 
to  you." 

All  the  time  they  were  speaking  Elfie  was  struggling 
violently  to  free  herself.  And  now  again  Albert  Goldsborough 
threw  his  left  arm  around  her  and  caught  and  confined  her 
two  hands  with  his  left  hand,  while  with  his  right  hand  he 
covered  her  mouth  to  stifle  her  screams,  that  were  again 
splitting  the  air. 

"  Don't  smother  her,  sir,"  said  Mutchison. 

"I  will  not.  She  has  fine  nostrils,  especially  when  they 
are  inflated  with  rage,  and  I  leave  them  free  for  breathing 
purposes.  Now  then,  Mutchison  ;  I  want  you  to  place  your- 


266  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

self  immediately  behind  this  obstinate  little  bride,  and  when 
the  parson  asks  her  if  she  will  take  this  man  to  be  her 
wedded  husband,  for  better  for  worse,  (and  she  will  find  him 
much  better  than  she  hopes,)  I  want  you  to  put  your  hand 
upon  her  obstinate  little  head  and  bend  it  forward  with  a 
very  emphatic  nod  of  assent,  as  the  King  of  France  did  in 
the  case  of  his  disobedient  daughter.  Get  yourself  into 
position.  And  then  I  will  call  on  the  parson." 

"All  right,  colonel,"  said  Hutchison,  taking  up  his  stand 
immediately  behind  Elfie,  who  was  only  pausing  to  gather 
strength  for  a  fresh  resistance. 

"  Come  in,  if  you  please,  Mr.  Simmons,"  called  out 
Goldsborough. 

And  the  parson  lifted  the  curtain,  and  entered  the  hut. 

He  was  a  tall,  thin,  light-haired  man,  very  pale,  nervous 
and  consumptive.  He  was  evidently  a  captive  among  the 
guerrillas,  and  as  evidently  frightened  half  to  death. 

"Hand  him  the  license,  Hutchison.  Hutchison  is  here 
in  the  three-fold  capacity  of  bride's  father,  bridegroom's  best 
man,  and  witness  of  the  marriage,"  said  Goldsborough. 

Hutchison  stepped  forward,  and  placed  the  license  in  the 
trembling  hands  of  the  minister,  and  then  stepped  back, 
and  resumed  his  position  behind  Elfie. 

"  Now  proceed,  sir,  if  you  please,"  said  Goldsborough. 

The  nervous  minister  unfolded  and  examined  the  license, 
and  then  put  it  into  his  pocket,  from  which  he  took  a  small 
prayer-book. 

Opening  the  book,  he  commenced  the  marriage  ceremony. 
And  in  his  extreme  trepidation,  he  commenced  at  the  wrong 
end: 

'•' l  Forasmuch  as  this  man  and  this  woman  hath  con- 
sented— ' " 

"  I  have  not  consented  !  I  had  rather  be  hanged !  " 
screamed  Elfie,  who  had  succeeded  in  wriggling  her  head  free 
from  the  hand  of  her  captor. 


THE     MOUNTAIN     CAMP.  267 

In  this  panic  the  parson  dropped  his  book,  and  fell  into 
an  ague  fit. 

"  This  wretch  has  carried  me  off  by  force  !  He  is  marry- 
ing me  by  force  !  I  will  never — "  spluttered  Elfie  so  far ; 
but  just  here  Albert  succeeded  in  getting  his  hand  over  her 
mouth,  and  silenced  her  again. 

Hutchison  picked  up  the  prayer-book  and  restored  it  to  its 
owner. 

"  Go  on  ! "  thundered  Goldsborough,  with  a  furious  stamp 
of  his  foot,  that  nearly  caused  the  startled  preacher  to  drop 
the  volume  again. 

"  Young  lady,  I  have  no  option  but  to  go  on.  I  act  under 
compulsion,  as  you  do,"  said  the  preacher,  beginning  again  ; 

"  '  Forasmuch  as  this '  " 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Simmons  !  you  look  like  a  good  man,"  begged 
Elfie,  who  had  twisted  her  head  free — "  and  you  may  have 
sisters  of  your  own  ;  for  their  sakes " 

But  here  Albert  Goldsborough  stopped  her  mouth  again, 
and  roared  at  the  unfortunate  parson  to  proceed. 

"You  see,  young  lady,  I  have  no  alternative  but  to  do 
what  I  am  about  to  do.  The  man  threatened  to  hang  me 
if  I  refused,"  pleaded  the  minister. 

"  And  the  man  will  keep  his  word,"  added  Goldsborough. 

"  And  I  have  an  old  mother,  and  sisters  also,  as  you  sug- 
gested, depending  on  me  for  support.  So  I  must  do  the 
bidding  of  this  man.  And  besides,  my  dear  young  lady,  as 
you  are  in  the  power  of  these  men,  it  is  far  better  that  you 
should  be  lawfully  married  to  their  leader,  If  one  of  my 
young  sisters  were  in  your  place,  unless  she  could  be  im- 
mediately rescued,  I  should  thank  the  first  one  in  authority 
to  lawfully  marry  her  to  her  captor." 

"  Come,  then  !  Stop  this  nonsense,  and  go  on  !  or  we 
will  find  a  way  to  quicken  your  motions ! "  thundered 
Goldsborough. 

Thus  strongly  urged,  the  poor  preacher  once  more  opened 


268  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

his  book,  found  the  place,  and  commenced  the  marriage 
ceremony. 

The  rites  proceeded  quietly  enough,  for  Elfie's  hands 
were  held  too  fast,  and  her  lips  were  covered  too  closely,  for 
her  to  offer  any  successful  resistance. 

When  the  bridegroom  was  asked : 

"  '  Wilt  thou  have  this  woman  to  be  thy  wedded  wife  f ' " 

Goldsborough  answered  in  a  loud,  firm,  sonorous  voice  : 

"'IwilL'" 

When  the  similar  question  was  put  to  the  bride,  Hutchi- 
son clapped  his  hand  upon  Elfie's  head  and  bent  it  down  in 
assent. 

When  the  minister,  proceeding  with  the  ceremony,  in- 
quired : 

" '  Who  giveth  this  woman  to  be  married  to  this 
man  ? ' " 

Hutchison  answered,  in  a  bold  voice : 

The  ring  was  then  farced  upon  the  bride's  finger,  and  the 
marriage  ceremony  was  concluded  in  the  usual  manner. 

"  And  now  take  notice  that  I  have  done  this  deed  under 
compulsion  !  I  wash  my  hands  of  the  sin,  and  cast  it  upon 
the  backs  of  those  to  whom  it  belongs  !  "  said  the  persecuted 
preacher,  turning  to  leave  the  hut. 

"  Exactly !  our  backs  are  broad  enough  to  bear  it,"  laugh- 
ed Albert  Goldsborough.  Then  turning  to  Hutchison,  he 
said:  "Go  after  him,  and  make  him  a  tumbler  of  milk 
punch  to  set  him  up  again.  And  leave  me  alone  with  my 
wife,  that  I  may  reconcile  her  to  her  husband." 


THE     MARCH. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE    MARCH. 

Come  away !  come  away  ! 

Hark  to  the  summons  ! 
Come  in  your  war  array, 

Gentiles  and  commons! 
Leave  un tended  the  herd, 

The  flock  without  shelter ', 
Leave  the  corpse  uuinterred, 

The  bride  at  the  altar,— SCOTT. 

IT  was  written  of  an  old  usurper  of  the  throne  of 
England,  that  "having  gained  the  kingdom  by  fraud  and 
by  cruelty,  he  nevertheless  governed  it  in  justice  and  in 
mercy." 

Something  like  the  same  policy  prevailed  in  Colonel 
Goldsborough's  conduct  towards  his  captive  bride. 

Having  gained  her  hand  by  force,  he  was  willing  to  win 
her  favor  by  forbearance. 

No  sooner  had  the  curtain  dropped  behind  the  retreating 
form  of  Hutchison,  than  Albert  Goldsborough  turned 
towards  Elfie,  and  sank  upon  one  knee  at  her  feet;  and 
though  the  action  was  indeed  rather  melo-dramatic,  I  do  not 
see,  under  the  circumstances,  how  he  could  have  done  less 
than  thus  humble  himself. 

The  insolent  abductor  was  all  at  once  turned  into  the 
pleading  lover.  He  earnestly  prayed  her  to  pardon  him. 

"  Elfie,  my  best  beloved — my  only  beloved,  you  will  trj 
to  forgive  me  for  this  violence  ! "  he  murmured,  in  a  low 
and  gentle  tone. 

"  If  I  do,  Albert  Goldsborough,  I  pray  that  Heaven  may 
never  forgive  me  !  "  she  answered,  passionately. 

"My  darling  Elfie,  Heaven  never  records  our  wicked 
prayers.  If  it  did  we  should  all  be  doomed  ! "  he  said, 
gently  taking  her  hand. 

"  Don't  touch  me,  you  wretch,  unless  you  wish  to  drive 


270  BOW      HE      WON      HER. 

me  raving  mad.  I  tell  you  I  am  on  the  brink  of  frenzy 
now  !  and  frenzy  may  give  me  strength  to  slay  you  !  "  she 
exclaimed,  struggling  and  snatching  her  hand  from  h 

grasp. 

"  Elfie,  listen  to  me  !  "  he  pleaded. 

But  Elfie  drowned  his  murmuring  voice  in  a  torrent  of 
bitter  scorn  and  furious  invective,  which  she  poured  upon 
him  without  stint  or  measure. 

He  let  her  scold  until  she  had  exhausted  herself,  and 
had  to  pause  for  want  of  breath ;  then  he  took  advantage 
of  her  silence  and  answered,  gently  : 

"Elfie,  to  all  your  cruel  reproaches  I  have  but  this  to  say 
in  my  defence— I  love  you  ;  I  have  loved  you  ever  since 
I  first  saw  you,  and  I  believe  that  you  love  me.  In 
this  belief,  Elfie,  I  could  not  leave  you  among  the  Yankees 
to  be  perverted  by  them,  to  be  set  against  your  own  old 
State,  your  faithful  friends,  and  your  one  true  lover,  I 
could  not,  my  Elfie." 

« You— ou  !  You — ou !  "  began  Elfie,  but  she  was  too 
much  out  of  breath  to  proceed,  and  so  Albert  resumed : 

"I  could  not  give  you  up  to  trie  Yankees,  Elfie.  I  could 
not,  my  dear.  And  so,  at  the  imminent  risk  not  only  of 
my  own  life,  but  of  the  lives  of  all  my  command,  I  crossed 
the  river  and  brought  you  away." 

"A  great  risk  you  ran,  truly,  to  come  with  your  two 
hundred  armed  guerrillas  upon  a  harmless  pleasure  party  of 
less  than  forty  persons,"  passionately  and  scornfully  cried 
Elfie,  who  had  now  recovered  her  voice. 

"  Yes,  Elfie,  it  was  a  great  risk — an  imminent  risk,  as  I 
said — for  we  crossed  and  landed  between  two  forts  whose 
ecouts  were  out  in  search  of  us.  And  in  three  hours  after 
our  crossing,  a  squadron  of  cavalry,  armed  with  their  mur- 
derous six-shooters,  were  on  our  trail.  But  I  would  have 
risked  much  more  than  life  for  you,  my  Elfie." 

« '  Bisk  '  again,"  sneered  Elfie.     "  I  don't  see  it.     The 


THE     MARCH.  271 

only  risk  that  was  run  for  my  sake  that  day  was  run  by  the 
only  man  of  our  party  ;  for  I  hold  that  little  Mim  was  the 
only  male  creature  that  proved  himself  a  man  on  that 
occasion." 

"  I  wonder,  now,  if  that  little  atom  is  my  rival  ?  "  said 
Albert,  musingly. 

"Yes,  he  is  !  "  exclaimed  Elfie,  spitefully  catching  at  the 
idea ;  "  he  just  is  !  I  love  and  admire  little  Mim  beyond 
everything.  I  love  his  little  finger  better  than  I  ever  did 
your  whole  person.  He  is  a  true  hero,  and  I  worship  the 
very  ground  he  walks  on  ! " 

"  Very  pleasant  words  for  me  to  hear,  Elfie." 

"  I  don't  care  whether  they  are  or  not.  They  are  true. 
I  am  dying  in  love  with  little  Mim.  And  when  I  get  back 
to  Washington,  I  mean  to  ask  him  to  marry  me  as  soon  as 
ever — Oh,  my  good  gracious,  I  can't,  either!"  exclaimed 
Elfie,  suddenly  breaking  off  and  bursting  into  tears  of  rage 
at  the  recollection  that  she  was  married  already  to  Golds- 
borough. 

"  No,  you  can't !  Polygamy  is  not  lawful  in  this  land,  at 
least  not  for  ladies,"  lauglflft  Albert  Goldsborough. 

"You  will  be  hanged  some  day,  shortly,  and  then  I  shall 
be  a  widow,"  sobbed  Elfie. 

"  Come,  come,  my  darling  girl,  why  do  you  keep  up  this 
comedy  ?  Do  you  think  that  I  could  be  jealous  of  your 
little  champion  ?  Do  you  think  that  I  believe  for  a 
moment  in  your  professions  either  of  regard  for  him  or  de- 
testation for  me  ?  No,  dear  Elfie.  I  have  a  confidence  in 
your  love  and  faith  that  your  words  and  actions  cannot 
shake.  Listen,  my  darling  girl — " 

"  I  don't  want  to  hear  a  word  you  have  to  say,  Albert 
Goldsborough." 

"But,  my  dear,  in  common  justice  you  must.  Listen, 
Elfie — for  we  must  march  soon,  and  the  time  for  explana- 
tion and  defence  is  short.  I  have  told  you  that,  loving  you 


272  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

beyond  measure,  and  believing  in  your  unaltered  love  for  me, 
I  could  not  leave  you  among  the  Yankees.  I  could  not, 
Elfie.  And  so,  at  the  imminent  risk  of  my  life,  and  the 
lives  of  all  my  band,  I  crossed  the  river,  and  brought  you 
off  from  between  the  very  teeth  of  the  enemy." 

"You  have  bragged  of  all  that  before,"  sneered  Elfie. 
"  I  could  not  have  believed  in  your  persistent  opposition  to 
my  wishes,  Elfie ;  else,  perhaps,  I  should  have  spared  you 
and  myself  this  trial." 

"  When  you  made  the  discovery,  why  did  you  not  send 
me  back  to  my  friends  ?  "  demanded  Elfie. 

"  It  was  too  late  even  if  it  had  been  in  other  respects  possi- 
ble to  do  so  !  Once  having  run  away  with  you,  and  above 
all  having  retained  you  for  days  in  my  custody,  there  was 
no  retreat !  The  departure  of  Alberta  this  morning,  leaving 
you  alone,  the  only  woman  in  the  guerrilla  camp,  made  your 
immediate  marriage  a  necessity.  And  so,  Elfie,  I  have  mar- 
ried you,  even  by  force  ;  but  I  trust  to  win  your  forgiveness 
by  forbearance.  The  deed  is  done,  Elfie,  that  makes  you  my 
wife  !  But  now  that  it  is  done,  you  shall  be  as  sacred  to  me 
as  my  sister.  And  more  so  !  fd^I  will  never  touch  your  lips, 
or  even  take  your  hand  again,  without  your  leave !  That 
you  will  forgive  me  and  love  me  I  am  sure — sure  as  that 
you  are  woman  !  We  shall  march  in  an  hour,  and  of  course 
you  go  with  us  !  I  will  do  everything  I  possibly  can  do  for 
your  happiness,  except  to  give  you  up  to  the  Yankees,  to  be 
taught  to  hate  and  despise  your  old  State  and  old  friends  ! 
You  are  a  child  of  the  South  and  belong  to  your  mother, 
and  must  live  among  her  children." 

Elfie  still  sobbed,  but  now,  as  it  seemed,  with  less  of  rage 
then  of  grief. 

He  was  still  at  her  feet. 

"Get  up!"  she  said  at  length,  impatiently.  "You've 
made  a  brate  of  yourself,  but  you  needn't  make  a  fool  of 
yourself  by  remaining  in  that  absurd  position,  Albert  Grolds- 
borough  !  Get  up  !  " 


THE     MARCH.  273 

"Not  until  I  have  obtained  your  forgiveness,  Elfie.  Oh, 
Elfie,  dearest,  I  loved  you  so  entirely.  The  thought  of  you 
was  never  for  an  instant  absent  from  my  inind,  by  day  or 
by  night,  in  the  tent  or  in  the  field.  Elfie,  for  the  sake  of 
the  undivided  love  I  bore  you,  forgive  me  ;  for  the  sake  of 
the  forbearance  that  I  have  sworn  to  observe  towards  you, 
and  that  will  cost  me  so  much,  forgive  me  !  "  he  pleaded. 

"If  you  will — will  keep  your  word  with  me,  and  treat 
— eat  me  as  your  sister,  I  will  forgive— give  you  for  the 
past ! "  sobbed  Elfie. 

"  Heaven  bless  you  for  that  much,  my  darling  !  That  is 
one  step  gained,"  he  said,  rising. 

"  And  oh,  if  you  had  only  been  tru — true  to  your  country 
in  her  trial !  Oh,  if  you  had  only  been  tru — true  to  your 
country !  "  she  wept. 

"I  was  true  to  my  country,  Elfie.  I  am  true  to  my 
country.  I  shall  always  be  true  to  my  country.  Old 
Virginia  is  my  country,  and  I  am  true  as  truth  to  her.  I 
go  with  her  where  she  goes — to  destruction,  if  she  should 
be  cursed  with  failure,  to  dominion,  if  she  should  be  crowned 
with  success,"  replied  the  guerrilla  leader,  as  he  turned, 
lifted  the  curtain,  and  left  the  hut 

"  Oh,  if  he'd  been  true  !  Oh,  if  he'd  been  true  ! "  Elfie 
continued  to  sob. 

Soon  all  was  bustle  in  the  guerrilla  camp.  The  men  were 
mustering  and  mounting,  and  preparing  to  move.  The 
guerrillas  marched  with  very  little  baggage,  as  everybody 
knows.  And  so  the  band  was  soon  read}7. 

In  about  half  an  hour  after  leaving  the  hut,  Colonel 
Goldsborough  returned  to  it,  lifted  the  curtain,  and  once 
more  presented  himself  before  Elfie. 

"  My  dearest  girl,  we  are  about  to  go  down  the  mountain. 

The  pass  is  a  difficult  and  dangerous  one,  as  you  know — 

more  dangerous  still  in  the  descent  than  in  the  ascent.     And 

for  your  safety  it  is  best  that  you  should  ride  behind  me,  as 

17 


274  HOW      HE      WON     HER. 

you  did  before.  Still,  keeping  the  spirit  as  well  as  the 
letter  of  my  promise  to  you,  El  fie,  I  must  give  you  your 
choice  of  three  modes  of  conveyance.  You  may  ride 
behind  me,  or  you  may  ride  behind  Parson  Simmons,  or 
you  may  ride  alone  on  a  sure-footed  little  mountain  pony 
which  is  at  your  service." 

"  I  will  take  the  mountain  pony,  if  you  please,"  said 
Elfie. 

"  But  will  you  feel  quite  safe  to  do  so,  down  these  perilous 
passes  ?  " 

"I  am  a  mountain  girl,  if  you  will  please  to  remember, 
and  the  horse,  you  say,  is  a  mountain  pony." 

"  Very  well,  Elfie,  I  will  have  it  brought  to  the  door  of 
your  hut,"  said  Colonel  Goldsborough,  going  out. 

In  five  minutes  he  returned  with  the  pony,  and  came  in 
for  Elfie. 

Sulkilv  enough  the  girl  went  out  with  him. 

Goldsborough's  steed,  the  parson's  cob,  and  Elfie's  pony 
stood  saddled  and  bridled  before  the  hut. 

The  parson  was  there  also,  apparently  in  charge  of  the 
three  horses,  whose  bridles  he  held  gathered  in  his  hands. 
And  the  unfortunate  man  seemed  to  have  rather  more  than 
he  could  do  to  hold  them. 

"Elfie,"  said  Albert  Goldsborough,  laughing,  "I  prom- 
ised not  even  to  touch  your  hand  without  your  leave ;  and  I 
mean  to  keep  my  promise.  Therefore  I  must  ask  your 
gracious  permission,  before  lifting  you  into  your  seat.  Will 
you  grant  it  ?  " 

"No!"  said  Elfie,  placing  her  hand  upon  the  pommel, 
and  springing  into  her  saddle  as  lightly  as  if  she  were  an 
elf  indeed.  •. [•«.'•: 

"  Mr.  Simmons,  mount  your  horse.  You  are  to  be  the 
immediate  advance  guard  of  this  lady,  and  ride  directly  in 
front  of  her ;  and  please  to  recollect  that  your  life  is  the 
hostage  of  her  safety,"  said  Colonel  Goldsborough,  as  he 
threw  himself  into  his  saddle. 


THE     MARCH.  275 

"  Is — is — her  pony  a  safe  one  ?  "  stammered  the  perse- 
cuted preacher,  as  he  clambered  up  into  his  seat. 

"  Her  pony  is  all  right,"  laughed  Albert.     "  Go  ahead  ! " 

The  band,  under  the  immediate  charge  of  Hutchison, 
•was  now  defiling  through  the  narrow  pass  leading  from  the 
table  land  down  the  side  of  the  mountain. 

Colonel  Goldsborough,  with  his  two  captives,  took  the  same 
direction.  He  rode  on  the  right  side  of  Elfie,  while  the 
preacher  rode  on  the  left,  until  they  came  to  the  narrow  pass 
down  which  the  line  of  mounted  men  was  winding  like 
some  huge  serpent. 

Then  Goldsborough  ordered  the  preacher  to  precede  Elfie, 
while  he  himself  should  follow  her,  thus  forming  a  guard 
of  honor  immediately  before  and  behind  the  captive  bride. 

In  this  manner  they  commenced  the  descent  of  the  dan- 
gerous mountain  pass. 

Albert  Goldsborough,  in  the  spirit  of  his  promise,  forbore 
to  force  his  conversation  upon  his  companion. 

Elfie  rode  -on  in  sulky  silence  until  her  tongue  was  tired 
of  keeping  still,  when  she  opened  her  mouth  and  spake: 

"  I  thought  the  '  Devil's  Dripping  Pan,'  or  '  Soup  Dish/ 
or  whatever  you  call  your  horrid  place  up  there  on  the 
mountain  top,  was  to  be  the  general  rendezvous  of  your 
bands." 

"  We  thought  so  too,  Elfie." 

"And  that  you  and  Corsoni,  with  your  commands,  had 
met  there  to  wait  for  the  arrival  of  Monck  and  his  men." 

"  Such  was  our  plan." 

"  And  here  Corsoni  moves  with  his  command  at  midnight, 
and  you  march  with  yours  at  mid-day ! " 

"  Just  so,  Elfie  !  " 

"  In  truth,  then,  it  seems  to  me  that  you  gentlemen 
horse-thieves  don't  know  your  own  minds  any  more  than 
honester  men."  ^ 

"  When  a  spy  gets  into  our  camps,  Elfie,  and  discovers 


276  Hv)W     HE     WON     HER. 

all  our  secrets,  he  is  apt  to  defeat  all  our  plans.  That  little 
devil  of  a  Gill,  who  got  into  Corsoni's  camp,  not  only 
betrayed  his  retreat  to  the  enemy,  but,  as  we  have  lately 
learned,  he  discovered  'and  revealed  the  secret  of  this  ren- 
dezvous. This  made  it  necessary  for  us  to  choose  another 
place  of  gathering,  to  which  we  are  now  going,  Elfie.  I 
don't  mind  telling  you  these  things,  my  dear,  since  it  is 
utterly  imposible  for  you  to  betray  us,"  said  Albert. 

And  now,  as  the  dangers  of  the  road  demanded  all  their 
attention,  the  conversation  ceased. 

The  poor  preacher  held  his  very  breath  for  fear  as  he 
looked  up,  on  the  right,  to  a  precipice  that  towered  a  thou- 
sand feet  above  him ;  and  then  down  on  the  left  to  another 
precipice  that  descended  a  thousand  feet  below  him ;  and, 
last,  along  the  ledge  of  path  that  lay  before  him,  so  narrow, 
with  such  slender  space  to  move  in,  that  a  single  swerve 
must  have  sent  horse  and  rider  down  to  destruction. 

"  Look  sharp  there  !  or  you  will  be  gone  in  an  instant !  " 
roared  Albert  Goldsborough,  throwing  the  nervous  parson 
into  such  a  panic  as  nearly  precipitated  the  catastrophe  he 
had  intended  to  prevent. 

Elfie  laughed.  Her  nerves  were  so  firm  and  her  pony  so 
sure-footed  that  she  felt  quite  safe  even  when  perched  upon 
the  edge  of  a  precipice  where  a  goat  could  hardly  have 
found  footing. 

The  persecuted  preacher  was  trembling  from  head  to 
foot. 

"  I  know,"  he  complained,  "  that  even  if  I  live  to  reach 
the  bottom  of  this  mountain,  which  is  very  unlikely,  I  shall 
be  good  for  nothing  all  the  rest  of  my  life." 

As  he  said  this,  the  party  of  three,  passing  around  a  pro- 
jecting rock,  came  in  sight  of  the  rear  of  the  band,  who 
were  winding  down  the  narrow  pass  in  single  file  below 
them. 

"  Hayden  !  "  cried  Colonel  G-oldsborough,  calling  out  to 
one  of  the  rear  men,  who  immediately  halted. 


THE     MARCH. 


277 


"  Hayden,  dismount  and  turn  your  horse  loose  and  come 
here  and  take  the  parson's  bridle  and  lead  his  beast,  or  we 
shall  have  an  accident." 

The  soldier  addressed  smiled  good-humoredly  as  he  mur- 
mured something  to  his  comrade  about  the  "  inconvenience 
of  having  women  and  parsons  encumbering  them  on  their 
march  ;  "  and  then  lie  dismounted,  knotted  up  his  bridle,  so 
that  it  should  not  get  entangled  under  his  horse's  feet,  and 
leaving  his  well-trained  steed  to  walk  soberly  down  the 
path,  he  came  and  took  the  preacher's  bridle  and  led  his  cob 
carefully  along  the  perilous  pass. 

In  this  manner  they  continued  their  dangerous  journey 
until  they  reached  the  foot  of  the  mountain. 

"  Thank  Heaven  it  is  over ! "  piously  exclaimed  the 
parson,  as  they  found  themselves  safe  at  the  entrance  of  a 
wooded  valley. 

There  was  no  road;  but,  guided  by  a  pocket, compass, 
the  band  took  their  way  westward  through  the  forest,  until, 
after  marching  for  about  three  miles,  they  came  out  upon 
an  open  plain,  dappled  here  and  there  with  detached  groves 
of  trees  and  gradually  ascending  towards  a  range  of  wooded 
hills  in  the  distance  before  them. 


278  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE   BATTLE. 

And  now  there  breathed  that  haunted  afr 
The  sons  of  sires  who  conquered  there, 
With  arms  to  strike  and  souls  to  dare 

As  quick,  as  far  as  they! 
o  o 

He  woke  to  die  'mid  flame  and  smoke. 
And  shout,  and  groan,  and  sabre  stroke, 
And  death  shots  falling  thick  and  fast 
As  lightning  from  a  mountain  cloud.— FITZ  GEEEN  HALLECK. 

"THERE  is  our  new  rendezvous,"  said  Colonel  Golds- 
borough,  pointing  to  the  distant  range  of  wooded  hills, 
where  the  autumn  foliage  was  now  glowing  redly  under  the 
rays  of  the  descending  sun,  and  towards  which  the  whole 
band  was  now  moving  leisurely. 

But  they  had  not  marched  more  than  a  mile  when  Mut- 
chison,  who  had  been-  riding  in  advance  of  the  whole  line, 
came  suddenly  galloping  back  to  the  rear  with  every  mark 
of  hurry  and  excitement. 

He  drew  rein  beside  his  superior  officer,  and  handed  him 
a  field-glass,  saying  hastily : 

«  Colonel,  look  there !  " 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  inquired  Goldsborough,  raising  the  in- 
strument to  his  eyes. 

"  There,  at  our  rendezvous  :  the  cloud  of  dust,  the  smoke, 
and  hark !  there  is  the  sound  of  musketry  !  There  must  be 
a  battle  going  on  there,  Colonel ! " 

"  THERE  is  !  "  hurriedly  exclaimed  Goldsborough. 
"Mutchison,  dash  forward.  Send  half  a  dozen  men  back 
to  guard  the  prisoners,  who  must  remain  here  while  we 
join  battle.  Then  get  the  band  in  order.  Form  on  com- 
pany front ;  and  march  !  I  will  be  with  you  as  soon  as  I 
have  provided  for  the  safety  of  these  ! " 

Mutchison  wheeled  his  horse  and  galloped  forward,  carry- 
ing with  him  a  ?loud  of  dust,  in  which  he  soon  disappeared. 


THE     BATTLE.  279 

Goldsborough  looked  around  for  a  place  of  safety  in 
which  to  bestow  his  captive  bride  and  her  clerical  com- 
panion. 

Nothing  better  offered  than  a  grove  of  trees,  in  the 
midst  of  which  sparkled  a  cool  spring,  now,  however,  rather 
choked  with  fallen  autumn  leaves. 

He  led  his  party  there  and  requested  them  to  dismount. 

The  poor  parson  very  willingly  obeyed,  and  got  off  the 
horse  of  which  he  was  heartily  tired. 

"  I  suppose  there  is  nothing  left  now  but  to  submit  to  our 
fate  and  trust  in  Providence,"  said  Elfie,  as  she  also  dis- 
mounted and  seated  herself  upon  a  heap  of  dried  leaves 
that  the  wind  had  drifted  against  the  roots  of  a  great  oak 
tree. 

"  Yes,  my  dear  young  lady,  that  is  it !  We  are  in  the 
power  of  the  men  of  Belial,  but  the  arm  of  the  Lord  is 
mighty  to  deliver  us,"  murmured  Mr.  Simmons,  when  Col- 
onel Goldsborough  had  passed  out  of  hearing ;  he — Golds- 
borough — having  taken  the  bridles  of  the  two  horses  and 
led  them  to  the  other  extremity  of  the  grove,  where  he  se- 
cured them  to  the  trees. 

"  You  see  he  has  led  away  our  horses  so  as  to  prevent  us 
from  taking  advantage  of  the  battle  to  escape  by  flight !  " 
said  Elfie,  despondently. 

"  I  see  !  I  see,  my  dear  young  lady  !  but  the  arm  of  the 
Lord  is  strong  to  save.  But  hush  !  here  comes  the  son  of 
Beelzebub  ! "  said  the  preacher,  as  the  guerrilla  leader 
returned. 

And  in  a  few  minutes  the  near  galloping  of  other  horses 
was  heard,  and  the  six  men  sent  back  by  Mutchison  rode 
up,  in  a  cloud  of  dust. 

"  Guard  these  two  prisoners  until  farther  orders  !  "  said 
Colonel  Goldsborough,  as  he  put  spurs  to  his  horse  and 
dashed  omvanl  after  his  band. 

Ht-  fl.'\v  over  the  plain  at  a  tremendous  rate  of  speed,  yet 
it  was  some  ten  minutes  before  he  came  up  with  his  band. 


280  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

They  were  now  within  half  a  mile  of  their  rendezvons, 
where  the  black,  heavy  clouds  of  dust  and  smoke,  and  the 
continuous  sound  of  firing,  assured  them  that  a  fierce  battle 
was  going  on. 

On  reaching  his  band,  Colonel  Goldsborough  did  but  stop 
long  enough  to  breathe  his  horse.  And  then  he  commanded 
a  halt,  and  raising  his  hand  cried  out : 

"  Attention,  my  men  !  The  rendezvous  has  been  sur- 
prised by  the  enemy  !  The  Free  Sword  seems  hard  be- 
set !  We  must  free  him  !  To  the  rescue,  then  !  " 

A  shout  from  the  men  responded  to  this  speech. 

"Attention!     Forward!  March!" 

The  guerrillas  galloped  as  gayly  onwards  towards  the  field 
of  blood  "  as  to  a  festival." 

As  they  approached  the  scene  of  action  the  evidences 
of  a  fearful  engagement  encircled  them. 

Ascending  the  hill,  they  entered  into  a  dense  atmos- 
phere of  black  and  sulphurous  smoke  and  dust  through 
which  sabres  glanced  and  firearms  blazed,  and  horses  and 
riders  loomed  and  vanished,  and  from  which  arose  the  con- 
fused sounds  of  the  shouts  of  men,  the  neighs  of  steeds,  the 
clash  of  steel,  the  report  of  musketry,  and  the  shrieks  and 
groans  of  the  wounded  and  the  dying. 

Over  fallen  steeds  and  writhing  men — through  flashing 
sabre  strokes  and  whistling  rifle  shots — through  smoke  and 
dust — through  blood  and  fire — the  guerrillas  dashed,  strik- 
ing here  and  there — striking  everywhere  where  the  blue  coat 
of  a  Union  soldier  could  be  seen  in  the  chaos. 

It  was  a  general  melee,  more  terrible  in  its  effects  than 
any  pitched  battle  could  have  been.  It  was  a  mutual  mas- 
sacre, in  which  no  quarter  was  asked  or  given.  Such  was 

the  engagement  at Hill,  long  to  be  remembered  in  the 

bloody  annals  of  the  Valley. 

Neither  Monck  nor  any  of  his  officers  or  men  were  to  be 
seen  anywhere  on  the  field.  It  seemed  evident  that  his  forces 


THE      BATTLE.  281 

had  not  joined  those  of  Colonel  Corsoni,  whose  command  had 
engaged  the  Federals  alone. 

In  the  thickest  carnage  might  he  seen  the  form  of  the 
Free  Sword,  an  inspired  form — a  very  Demon  of  Destruction 
— dealing  death-blows  right  and  left — striking  everywhere, 
and  always  with  fatal  effects  ;  struck  at  from  every  quarter, 
hut  always  in  vain  !  He  seemed  to  hear  a  charmed  life,  and 
to  wield  an  invincible  weapon. 

And  by  his  side — oh,  sight  of  fear  and  horror  ! — l>y  his 
side,  in  the  fiercest  of  the  fight,  rode  his  devoted  wife  !  Why 
she  was  there — why  he  permitted  her  to  be  there — no  one 
could  tell.  Whether  he  had  no  wish  or  no  power  to  with- 
stand the  force  and  fire  of  her  will  that  clung  to  him  so 
desperately  for  life  or  death,  or  whether  they  had  been  sur- 
prised too  suddenly  to  be  separated,  is  not  known.  All  that 
is  certainly  known  is  that  she  was  with  him  throughout  that 
bloody  day.  She  seemed  to  ride  scathless  through  that 
scene  of  slaughter,  unharming  and  unharmed  !  Who,  in- 
deed, would  have  willingly  hurt  her  ? 

At  the  moment  that  Goldsborough  with  his  band  rode  up, 
the  Free  Sword  and  his  two  hundred  faithful  followers  were 
fighting  desperately  against  an  overwhelming  force. 

Goldsborough  brought  to  his  relief  nearly  two  hundred 
more  men.  Yet  still  the  united  forces  of  the  two  leaders 
numbered  less  than  four  hundred  ill-armed  and  ill-disciplined 
guerrillas  ;  and  these  were  opposed  to  the  whole  regiment, 
of  Rosenthal's  well-trained  veteran  cavalry,  armed  with  their 
death-dealing  Henry  rifles — those  sixteen  shooters,  that 
augmented  their  fighting  powers  more  than  ten-fold. 

The  guerrillas  fought  well,  fearlessly,  recklessly. 

But  who  could  doubt  the  issue  ? 

Again  and  again  the  voice  of  the  young  Federal  com- 
mander was  heard  above  the  din  of  battle,  calling  upon 
those  brave,  misguided  men  to  surrender  and  save  them- 
selves. 


282  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

In  vain  !  He  might  as  well  have  roared  to  the  roaring 
winds ! 

The  hattle  raged  with  increasing  fury.  The  waves  of  war 
rolled  east,  rolled  west,  as  the  hard-pressed  guerrillas'  fell 
hack,  or  rallying  for  a  space,  pushed  forward. 

At  length,  towards  sunset,  the  guerrillas  began  to  scatter 
and  fly. 

Colonel  Goldshorongh  tried  to  rally  them,  hut  in  vain. 
Their  desperate  courage  had  suddenly  failed.  Goldshorongh 
looked  around  for  the  cause  of  this  panic  ;  and  he  discovered 
it  in  the  absence  of  their  idolized  leader! 

It  was  true.  Neither  the  brave  Free  Sword  nor  his 
heroic  wife  could  anywhere  be  seen  on  the  field.  The  fiery 
spirit  that  had  animated  and  inspired  the  whole  hand  was 
gone.  And  fear  had  fallen  upon  his  followers.  And  all 
who  were  not  dead,  wounded  or  prisoners,  were  flying  in  all 
directions  hotly  pursued  by  the  Federals. 

Colonel  Goldsborough,  seeing  that  the  day  was  lost, 
wheeled  around,  put  spurs  to  his  horse,  and  dashed  down 
the  hill-side,  in  the  direction  of  the  grove  where  he  had 
left  Elfie  and  the  parson  under  guard. 


THE     FATE     OF     THE      FREE     SWORD.        283 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  FATE  OF  THE  FREE  SWOBD. 

"No  more,  there  is  no  more,"  he  said, 
"  To  lift  the  sword  for  now ! 

For  thee  my  fields  were  won, 
And  thou  hast  perished." — 
They  might  have  chained  him  as  before 
That  stony  form  he  stood. 
For  the  power  was  stricken  from  his  arm, 
As  from  his  lips  the  blood. — KEHANS. 

RIDING  recklessly  over  the  dead  and  dying,  Albert 
Goldsborough  rushed  onward,  until  at  the  entrance  of  an 
old  turnpike  road  he  was  arrested  by  a  sight  that  might 
have  stopped  an  army  in  its  flight. 

In  the  dust,  on  the  ground,  knelt  Vittorio  Corsoni,  the 
terrible  Free  Sword,  supporting  in  his  arms  the  pale  form 
of  his  beloved  wife,  and  gazing  down  on  her  still  face  in 
unutterable  anguish  and  despair.  Beside  him  lay  his  hat 
and  plume  and  his  sword,  cast  off  as  though  useless  to  him 
evermore. 

"  Dead  !  "  exclaimed  Albert  Goldsborough,  in  horror  and 
amazement. 

The  Free  Sword  did  not  reply  or  look  up ;  he  did  not 
even  seem  to  see  or  hear  the  man  who  addressed  him. 

The  sound  of  approaching  horses'  feet  startled  Colonel 
Goldsborough  from  his  trance  of  amazement. 

"  Corsoni !  It  is  no  use  to  sit  there  and  be  captured ! 
Up  and  fly !  all  is  lost !  "  he  exclaimed,  putting  spurs  to 
his  horse  and  speeding  away. 

"  Yes,  all  is  lost  !  "  murmured  the  Free  Sword,  without 
removing  his  eyes  from  the  dead  face  over  which  he  bent. 

Another  horseman  came  thundering  up  in  a  cloud  of 
dust.  It  was  Mutchison. 

"  Fly !  fly,  Colonel  Corsoni !  Rosenthal  is  within  a 
hundred  yards  of  you  !  And  all  is  over  ! "  shouted  the 
giant,  as  he  rushed  past  without  drawing  rein. 


284  HOW      HE      WON     HER. 

"Yes,  all  is  over,"  muttered  the  Free  Sword,  dropping 
his  face  down  to  the  cold  face  beneath  him. 

"  Up  and  away !  We  are  dead  beat !  "  shouted  another 
equestrian  whirlwind  that  rushed  past  him. 

"Dead  beat !  "  echoed  the  Free  Sword,  mechanically. 

Abershaw  was  the  next  who  came.  He  hurriedly  dashed 
up,  threw  himself  from  his  saddle,  and  led  his  horse  up  to 
his  chief,  hastily  exclaiming : 

".Colonel  Corsoni !  For  heaven's  sake,  fly !  There  is  not 
a  moment  to  be  lost !  Rosenthal  is  a  few  yards  behind ! 
Here !  I  have  brought  you  a  fresh  horse  !  Mount  and 
away  !  Save  yourself !  " 

The  Free  Sword  lifted  his  despairing  eyes  to  the  face  of 
his  faithful  follower  and  pointed  in  silence  to  the  still  form 
in  his  arms. 

"  Madam  Corsoni  fainted  !  ISTo  wonder,  poor  lady !  Well, 
I  will  stay  and  take  care  of  her.  It  does  not  matter  so 
much  if  I  am  captured ;  I  shall  be  treated  as  a  prisoner  of 
war.  But  you,  Colonel !  oh,  you  know  the  doom  that 
awaits  you  if  you  are  taken  !  Mount  my  horse  !  Fly  and 
save  yourself!" 

"Save  myself!  From  what  ?  The  worst  has  happened 
that  could  possibly  befall  me.  Oh,  Abershaw,  look  here  ! 
and  tell  me  if  my  life  is  worth  the  saving  now ! "  cried 
Corsoni,  in  a  heart-broken  voice,  as  he  pointed  to  the  dead 
face  of  his  wife. 

"  Dead !  killed  !  Oh,  Heaven,  how  did  that  happen  ?  " 
exclaimed  Abershaw,  overwhelmed  by  the  sight. 

"A  Minie  ball.  She  saw  the  murderous  rifle  aimed, 
and  threw  herself  before  me,  and  received  in  her  heart  the 
shot  that  was  intended  for  my  bosom ! "  said  Corsoni,  in  a 
voice  of  such  deep  despair  that  his  follower  groaned  aloud. 

But  time  pressed,  pressed  fearfully  ;  a  life  hung  on  every 
minute !  And  Abershaw  could  not  leave  his  chief  to  in- 
dulge in  sorrow. 


THE     FATE      OF     THE     FTCEE      SWORD.       285 

"  My  Colonel — my  brave  Free  Sword  ! "  he  exclaimed, 
"  rouse  yourself !  A  soldier  should  not  yield  to  grief  any 
more  than  to  fear." 

Corsoni  sadly  shook  his  head. 

"  Corne,  coine,  my  chief,  look  up.  Think  of  all  your 
glorious  achievements  in  the  cause  of  the  young  Confed- 
eracy— " 

"  It  was  for  her — for  her,  and  she  is  gone,"  moaned 
Corsoni. 

"  Then  up  and  avenge  her  !  Think  of  all  that  you  have 
already  done,  of  all  that  you  may  still  do  for  the  cause. 
Think  what  a  career  opens  before  you.  When  the  Confed- 
eracy triumphs-^" 

Corsoni  impatiently  waved  his  hand  and  shook  his  head. 

"  The  Confederacy,"  said  the  Free  Sword,  bitterly. 
"  What  do  you  suppose  I  really  cared  for  the  Confederacy  ? 
I  am  a  foreigner.  What  are  your  civil  wars  to  me  ?  It 
was  for  her  I  drew  my  sword.  She  bade  me  draw  it  in  the 
cause  of  the  Confederacy,  and  I  did  it,  as,  if  she  had  bid  me 
draw  it  in  the  cause  of  the  Union,  or  of  the  Lord,  or  of  the 
Devil,  I  would  have  done  it.  It  was  for  her  !  for  her !  and 
now  she  is  gone ! — oh,  my  pale  love  !  This  was  not  what  I 
took  you  from  your  convent  for,"  he  added,  gazing  with 
infinite  sorrow  on  the  still  face. 

Then  he  turned  to  his  follower,  saying : 

"  But  go  and  save  yourself,  Abershaw.  You  have  yet 
something  to  live  for." 

"  No ;  I  shall  stay  with  you  and — her,"  firmly  replied  the 
man. 

Even  as  Abershaw  spoke  their  pursuers  dashed  up. 

"  Ah,  here  you  are,  you  demon.  Yield  !  "  thundered  the 
foremost  soldier,  dismounting. 

"  I  yield,"  gently  replied  the  Free  Sword. 

Colonel  Kosenthal  rode  up,  attended  by  his  staff,  among 
whom  was  Wing — Wing,  his  adjutant,  with  the  first  lieu- 
tenant's straps  upon  his  shoulders. 


286  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

"  You  are  a  prisoner,  Colonel  Corsoni.  Deliver  up  your 
sword,"  said  Justin,  gravely,  as  he  dismounted. — My 
God!" 

This  last  exclamation  was  struck  from  his  lips  by  the 
sight  of  Alberta's  dead  body  in  the  arms  of  her  heart-broken 
husband. 

And  the  most  inveterate  pursuers  of  the  Free  Sword  were 
now  gathered  around  him  with  looks  of  pity  in  their  war- 
worn faces. 

Colonel  Eosenthal  lifted  his  hand,  and  silently  waved 
these  men  away. 

And  all  retired  except  Adjutant  Wing. 

"  I  am  very  sorry  for  this,  Corsoni,  very,  very  sorry,"  said 
Justin  compassionately. 

The  Free  Sword  looked  up.  His  youthful  face  seemed 
suddenly  to  have  grown  old  and  haggard  with  unutterable 
woe.  Then  he  gently  laid  down  the  form  of  his  wife,  and 
struggled  to  his  feet,  and  put  his  hand  to  his  side  for  the 
sword  that  was  no  longer  there.  He  looked  about  to  find 
and  deliver  it  to  his  captor.  As  he  did  so,  the  blood  sud- 
denly gushed  in  torrents  from  an  unsuspected  wound  in  his 
breast,  and  his  face  became  livid. 

"  You  are  hurt,  Corsoni,"  said  Justin,  in  a  pitiful  voice. 

"  Am  I  ?  I  didn't  know,"  answered  the  Free  Sword,  as 
he  reeled  and  fell  beside  the  body  of  his  wife — DEAD. 


AFTER     THE     BATTLE.  287 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

AFTER   THE    BATTLE. 

Oh,  womanly  she  prayed  in  tent, 

When  none  beside  did  wake ! 
Oh,  womanly  she  paled  in  flght 

For  one  beloved's  sake  ! 
And  her  little  hand  defiled  with  blood, 
Her  tender  tears  of  womanhood 

Most  woman-pure  did  make. — E.  B.  BROWNING. 

ADJUTANT  WING  knelt  down  beside  the  dead  and  took 
two  fresh  white  pocket-handkerchiefs  from  his  hosom — 
Adjutant  Wing  was  rather  dainty  for  a  soldier,  in  some 
of  his  habits,  and  constantly  exposed  himself  to  the  raillery 
of  his  companions  by  his  weakness  for  clean  linen.  He 
now  covered  with  the  handkerchiefs  the  poor  dead  faces, 
and,  still  kneeling,  gazed  upon  the  two  bodies,  while  great 
tears  rolled  slowly  down  his  cheeks. 

"  You  are  weeping,  Wing,"  said  Colonel  Eosenthal, 
kindly. 

"  I  cannot — cannot  help  it,"  said  the  boy,  sobbing  aloud. 
"  When  I  look  at  these  two,  and  remember  that  they  were 
kind  to  me,  and  that  I  betrayed  them  to  this  death,  I 
cannot  help  it.  Oh,  my  Colonel,  I  have  shed  some  bitter 
tears  in  my  life.  But  these  are  the  bitterest  that  ever  fell 
from  my  eyes  !  " 

"  Wing,  what  you  did  was  done  as  a  sacred  duty  in  the 
service  of  your  country." 

"  Yes,  I  know ;  but  the  duty  was  very  revolting  to  me. 
Once  I  said  that  nothing  on  earth  could  ever  induce  me 
to  become  a  spy  ;  but  that  was  before  the  war,  and  I  was 
in  no  condition  to  judge  of  the  matter." 

As  Wing  sobbed  forth  these  words  Colonel  Eosenthal 
started  and  looked  at  him  wistfully  for  a  minute ;  then, 
seemingly  satisfied  by  the  scrutiny,  he  said : 

"  Our  military  duties  are  often  revolting  to  us,  my  boy ; 


ogg  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

but  still  they  are  duties — sacred  duties — and  must  be  per- 
formed. I  suppose  the  judge  who  pronounces  a  sentence  of 
death,  and  the  sheriff  who  executes  it,  both  feel  their  duty 
to  be  a  painful  one ;  but  they  do  it.  I  am  sorry  for  these 
people,  Wing— very,  very  sorry  for  them  ;  but — they  were 
traitors." 

"  Oh,  call  them  no  hard  names  over  their  still,  cold  bodies, 
my  Colonel.  Their  lips  are  mute  and  cannot  reply.  They 
thought  they  were  right,  and  so  thinking,  they  were  true  to 
themselves,  and  true,  oh  heaven,  how  true  to  each  other! 
Theirs  was  a  rare  love,  my  Colonel ;  stronger  than  life  and 
death  !  "  wept  Wing. 

"  Perhaps  the  fate  that  they  have  just  met  was,  under  all 
the  circumstances,  the  best  for  them,"  said  Justin. 

"Oh!  how  much  the  best!  Poor  lady!"  said  Wing, 
uncovering  the  face  of  Alberta  and  gazing  tenderly  upon  it. 
"  Poor,  poor  lady  !  She  had  but  one  great  dread  in  all  her 
dreadful  life — to  be  separated  from  her  beloved.  She  had 
but  one  earnest  prayer — to  be  with  him  always,  forever  and 
ever.  Her  prayer  is  granted.  As  she  clung  to  him  through 
all  his  desperate  life,  so  he  would  not  desert  her  even  in. 
death !  no,  not  even  to  save  himself  from  certain  capture 
and  from  the  shameful  scaffold.  Call  them  traitors,  if  you 
must ;  but  they  were  true  as  truth  to  each  other — true  in 
life  and  in  death  !  And  they  are  inseparable  for  all  eternity. 
Poor  girl !  I  remember  her  words  once  when  speaking  of 
Dante's  story  of  Franceses  and  Paulo  in  Hell :— '  It  might 
have  been  worse,'  she  said.  '  One  might  have  been  in 
Heaven!'  And  I  knew  that  she  was  thinking  of  herself 
and  her  'Free  Sword.'  " 

As  Wing  spoke,  he  reverently  covered  the  faces  of  the 
dead  and  arose  from  his  knees. 

«  Oh,  my  Colonel,"  he  next  said,  "  after  all,  I  think  that 
those  who  have  fallen  in  this  war  may  be  happier  than 
those  who  survive,  burdened  with  the  memory  of  its 
horrors ! " 


AFTER     THE      BATTLE.  289 

At  that  moment  the  sound  of  many  horses'  feet  was  heard 
approaching,  and  presently  a  squad  of  Union  cavalry  rode 
up,  having  Albert  Goldsborough,  Abershaw,  Haddycraff, 
and  other  guerrilla  officers  as  prisoners. 

"  We  cut  off  their  retreat,  sir,"  reported  the  officer  in 
command  of  the  party. 

Colonel  Kosenthal  advanced  to  receive  the  sword  of  the 
guerrilla  leader. 

Goldsborough  handed  it  over  in  perfect  silence.  There 
was  not  a  word  spoken  between  the  two. 

Then  Colonel  Eosenthal  ordered  the  prisoners  taken  to 
the  rear  and  guarded. 

Next  he  beckoned  an  officer,  and  directed  him  to  take 
charge  of  the  remains  of  the  Free  Sword  and  his  unfortu- 
nate wife,  and  to  see  to  their  removal,  and  their  preparation 
for  decent  interment. 

Finally,  he  called  Wing  and  Hay  (who  had  succeeded  in 
making  his  escape  from  Monck's  camp)  to  attend  him,  and 
rode  off  to  inspect  in  person  a  certain  locality  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, where  he  proposed  that  his  regiment  should  bivouac 
for  the  night. 

They  followed  the  old  turnpike  road  down  the  hill,  until 
they  came  to  the  open  plain,  across  which  Goldsborough's 
men  had  marched  that  day. 

Straight  before  them,  under  the  dark  eastern  horizon,  was 
dimly  seen  a  grove,  or  piece  of  woods. 

"  There  is  the  place  where  we  shall  halt  to-night,  Wing. 
As  we  have  no  tents,  the  trees  must  give  us  shelter.  And  I 
am  told  that  there  is  a  fine  spring  of  water.  Our  tired  and 
hungry  men  will  be  comfortable  there,"  said  Colonel  Eosen- 
thal, pointing  to  the  grove. 

"  And  the  wounded,  my  Colonel  ? "  inquired  Wing, 
gently. 

"  You  always  remember  the  wounded,  my  boy.  Well, 
they  will  be  taken  care  of.  Captain  Hopkins  and  Surgeon 
18 


290  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

Sharpe  are  in  charge  of  the  wounded.  And  lest  you  should 
also  think  the  dead  may  be  neglected,  I  will  inform  you  that 
Lieutenant  Barnwell  and  Chaplain  Jones  are  intrusted  with 
the  arrangements  for  their  Christian  burial.  Are  you  satis- 
fied now,  Wing  ?  " 

"  Thanks,  my  Colonel,  for  your  information,  and  also  for 
your  kind  indulgence  of  what  might  be  called  impertinence 
in  me,"  said  Wing,  respectfully  raising  his  cap. 

Colonel  Rosenthal  smiled  wistfully,  but  uid  not  reply. 

The  sun  had  long  set,  and  the  moon  had  not  yet  risen. 
But  it  was  a  clear,  bright,  starlight  night,  and  they  continued 
their  way  across  the  plain,  strangely  soothed  by  the  sweet 
stillness  and  peacefulness  of  the  scene. 

They  rode  along,  drawing  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  grovej 
until  at  length,  when  they  were  within  a  few  hundred  yards 
of  it,  they  were  startled  by  screams  issuing  from  its  shadows, 
a  woman's  piercing  screams,  mingled  with  cries  of — 

"Murder!     Murder!     Help!     Help!" 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

ELFIE    IN    THE    GROVE. 

Ask  me  not  what  the  maiden  foels. 

Left  in  that  dreadful  hour  alone ; 
Perchance  her  reason  stoops  or  reels 

Perchance  a  courage  not  her  own, 
Braces  her  mind  to  desperate  tone.— SCOTT. 

"  QUICK,  boys  !  There  is  something  dreadful  going  on  in 
that  grove  !  Some  woman  in  extreme  peril  !  "  hastily  ex- 
claimed Justin  Rosenthal,  as  he  put  spurs  to  his  horse,  and 
galloped  forward,  hotly  followed  by  Wing  and  Hay. 

The  grove,  at  the  point  at  which  they  approached  it,  was 
too  thickly  grown  to  admit  the  entrance  of  their  horses. 


ELFIE     IN     THE     GROVE.  291 

So  Colonel  Kosenthal  threw  himself  from  his  saddle,  fas- 
tened his  horse  to  a  tree,  drew  his  sword  and  plunged  into 
the  thicket. 

This  example  was  quickly  followed  by  his  companions. 

The  cries  of  distress  had  ceased  ;  and  the  silence  and  the 
darkness  of  the  place  rendered  it  rather  difficult  for  our  Don 
Quixote  to  decide  where  to  turn  his  steps  and  the  point  of 
his  sword  for  the  delivery  of  the  distressed  damsel. 

"  We  must  scatter  ourselves,  boys !  Each  must  take  a 
different  direction  and  beat  about  the  woods  until  we  dis- 
cover the  cause  of  those  cries !  And  he  who  first  comes 
upon  the  scene  of  violence  must  shout  for  the  others  !  Now 
go  !  And  may  Heaven  grant  that  we  may  be  in  time  !  " 
hastily  exclaimed  Justin,  waving  his  sword  in  the  directions 
he  wished  the  others  to  take,  and  then  turning  and  striking 
deeper  into  the  shadows  of  the  grove. 

It  was  very  still  and  dark.  Nothing  could  be  seen  but 
the  occasional  glance  of  a  star,  peeping  down  between  the 
upper  branches  of  the  trees ;  and  nothing  could  be  heard 
but  the  ripple  of  a  stream,  hidden  somewhere  in  the  deep, 
dry  undergrowth  of  the  thicket. 

Justin  was  completely  bewildered,  knowing  not  which 
way  to  turn. 

"  The  unfortunate  woman,  whoever  she  is,  must  be 
murdered  or  worse  before  this!  At  all  events,  she  is 
silenced,"  he  said  to  himself. 

At  that  moment  another  cry  arose ;  but  this  time  it  was 
a  man's  voice — weak,  quavering,  cracked — but  unmistakably 
a  man's  voice,  crying : 

"Help!  Murder!  Help!  Oh,  all  good  Christians, 
help  ! " 

"  Gracious  Heavens  !  has  the  woman  got  the  better  now, 
and  is  she  killing  the  man  ;  or  what  is  the  meaning  of  this 
second  outcry  ?  "  exclaimed  the  colonel,  in  droll  perplexity. 

And  guided  by  the  cries,  he  clutched  his  sword  with  a 


292  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

firmer  clasp,  and  strode  on  in  the  direction  from  which  they 
came.  He  had  not  gone  many  yards  before  the  cries  arose 
for  the  third  time ;  and  now,  as  in  the  first  instance,  it  was 
the  woman's  voice,  screaming  : 

"Murder!    Murder!     Help!  Help!" 

"  This  is  very  perplexing.  Apparently  there  are  two  of 
them  in  distress,  and  they  take  turns  in  yelling,"  said  Jus- 
tin, as  he  rushed  on  towards  the  scene  of  action. 

Suddenly  he  came  upon  it.  Striking  through  the  thicket, 
he  entered  an  opening  in  the  grove  where  the  clear  bright 
starlight  shone  down  upon  a  strange  picture — a  man,  and  a 
•woman,  each  bound  to  a  tree,  only  a  few  yards  from  each 
other. 

"  Help  !     Murder  !     Help  !  "  shrieked  the  man. 

"Don't  come  near  me,  you  monster!  I  have  a  revolver 
concealed  in  my  bosom  and  I  will  shoot  you  as  soon  as  I 
would  a  mad  dog  !  "  screamed  the  woman.  . 

"  ELFIE  ! "  exclaimed  Justin  Kosenthal,  in  astonishment, 
advancing  towards  her. 

"  Oh,  Justin  dear  !  Justin,  is  it  you  ?  Thank  Heaven ! 
But  I  took  you  for  a  prowling  guerrilla ! "  cried  Elfie,  strug- 
gling to  free  herself  enough  to  welcome  him. 

"  I  was  drawn  here  by  your  cries  for  help,  Elfie.  But 
who  had  the  insolence  and  barbarity  to  treat  you  in  this 
manner  ?  "  demanded  Colonel  Eosenthal,  as  with  his  sword 
he  severed  the  cords  that  bound  the  girl  and  set  her  free. 

"  Let  me  sit  down  and  breathe,  and  then  I'll  tell  you 
all  about  it,"  said  Elfie,  with  a  sigh  of  relief,  as  she  sank 
down  on  a  heap  of  dry  leaves  at  the  foot  of  the  tree. 

Justin  stood  looking  at  her  with  eyes  full  of  doubt,  pity 
and  anxiety. 

"  Don't  stand  staring  at  me  as  if  I  had  two  heads,  man  ! 
Go  and  set  the  parson  free.  He  is  a  Christian  hero,  he  is  ! 
and  by  that  time  I  shall  recover  my  breath  and  be  able  to 
talk  to  you,"  said  Elfie,  with  something  of  her  old  snappish- 


ELFIE     IN      THE     GROVE.  293 

ness.  And  truly  the  poor  girl  had  had  enough  to  make  her 
feel  cross  and  nervous. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Elfie,"  said  Justin,  smiling,  as  he 
turned  to  obey  her. 

He  cut  the  cords  that  bound  the  minister,  who  immedi- 
ately stretched  his  arms,  and  then  dropped  upon  the  ground 
with  a  fervent : 

"  Thank  goodness  !  " 

At  that  moment  Wing  and  Hay  came  up  from  different 
points  On  seeing  Elfie,  Wing  started  and  withdrew  a 
little  into  the  shade. 

Justin  went  up  to  him  said  : 

"  I  suppose  you  were  led  here  by  the  cries,  as  I  was  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  they  resounded  through  every  part  of  the 
grove,  I  assure  you." 

"  Well,  I  hope  there  has  been  no  great  harm  done.  We 
found  a  parson  and  the  young  lady  whom  you  met  as  a  cap- 
tive among  the  guerrillas,  bound  here  to  a  couple  of  trees. 
I  do  not  quite  understand  the  affair  yet ;  but  they  are 
apparently  uninjured.  Now  go,  Wing — take  Hay  with  you, 
and  ride  back  to  the  field.  Tell  Lieutenant-Colonel  Wedge- 
wood  that  we  shall  encamp  in  and  around  this  grove  to- 
night. Tell  him  to  send  all  the  men  here  who  are  riot 
engaged  in  looking  after  the  wounded  and  the  dead,  or  in 
guarding  the  prisoners." 

Wing  bowed,  beckoned  Hay  to  follow  him  and  left  the 
scene. 

Justin  turned  and  seated  himself  on  a  fragment  of  rock 
near  the  bank  of  leaves  on  which  Elfie  rested. 

"  I  am  very  glad,  Elfie,  to  find  you  safe  at  last/'  he  said, 
a  little  dubiously. 

"  Yes,  thank  Heaven,  I  have  passed  safely  through  the 
terrible  days  of  my  captivity,"  said  Elfie. 

"I  can  answer  for  that.  The  men  of  Belial,  bad  as  they 
were,  didn't  dare  to  harm  a  hair  of  her  head.  From  their 


294  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

chief  downward,  they  all  treated  her  with  respect,"  said  the 
preacher. 

"  Hold  your  tongue,  Mr.  Simmons.  I  don't  need  that 
you  should  endorse  me.  I  have  little  reason  to  be  grateful 
to  you,  goodness  knows,  for  saving  your  life  at  the  expense 
of  my  liberty,"  snapped  Elfie. 

The  preacher  bowed  his  head  under  this  rebuke.  And 
Justin  Eosenthal  looked  from  one  to  the  other  in  per- 
plexity. 

"  I  will  explain,  Justin  ;  but  it-is  a  long  story,  I  can  tell 
you.  I  have  been  through  a  campaign  since  I  saw  you  last," 
said  Elfie. 

"  But  before  you  begin,  my  dear  young  lady,  let  me  ask 
the  captain  here  a  question. — Sir,  might  you  have  a  morsel 
to  eat  or  drink  about  you  ?  "  piteously  inquired  the  poor 
consumptive  preacher. 

"  No,  I  mightn't,  I  am  sorry  to  say,"  smiled  Justin. 

"You  see  we  haven't  broken  our  fast  since  the  morning. 
And  I  feel  a  sort  of  inward  sinking.  And  if  you  had  a  scrap 
of  hard  tack  or  a  drop  of  old  rye — " 

"  I  regret  very  much  that  I  have  nothing  of  the  sort. 
You  know  that  we  cavalry  rangers,  out  after  guerrillas,  carry 
no  provisions.  We  look  to  live  on  the  country,"  said  Col- 
onel Eosenthal. 

The  poor  preacher  laid  his  thin  hands  over  his  empty 
bread-basket,  and  groaned  aloud.  Even  Elfie  pitied  him. 

"  Never  mind,  Mr.  Simmons,"  she  said,  "  you  heard  the 
order  given  by  Colonel  Eosenthal.  The  men  will  be  here 
presently,  and  you  may  depend  they  will  not  come  empty- 
handed.  We  shall  have  a  sumptuous  supper  presently." 

With  this  piece  of  comfort  the  preacher  tried  to  content 
himself. 

"  And  now,  Elfie,"  said  Justin  Eosenthal. 

"  Well,  I  suppose  you  heard  that  our  picnic  party  was 
surprised  by  the  guerrillas,  and  that  I  was  carried  off?  " 


£  L  F I E     IN      THE      GROVE.  295 

"  Yes,  I  heard  of  that,  Elfie,  through  a  spy  I  sent  into 
the  camp  of  the  Free  Sword.  Tell  me,  my  dear  little  friend, 
what  happened  after  the  spy  had  left,"  said  Justin. 

And  Elfie  began  and  related  in  detail  all  her  adventures 
while  a  captive  among  the  guerrillas.  She  told  the  story 
with  firmness,  and  even  with  humor,  until  she  came  to 
describe  her  forced  marriage,  when  she  suddenly  burst  into 
tears  of  rage  and  shame,  and  wept  and  sobbed  as  if  her 
heart  would  break. 

When  Justin  had  heard  the  whole  story  of  the  marriage, 
he  laid  his  hand  upon  Elfie's  bowed  black  head  in  a  protect- 
ing and  reassuring  manner,  and  laughed  as  he  said : 

"  Why,  Elfie,  the  marriage  is  not  binding  upon  you,  unless 
you  choose  to  make  it  so  by  yourself  acknowledging  its  vali- 
dity. If  you  protest  against  it  as  a  forced  marriage,  and 
bring  this  clergyman  here  as  your  witness,  it  cannot  hold 
good." 

"  But  there  was  a  li — license  !  and  a  ring — ring  !  and  an 
ordain — dained  minister  !  and  even  a  man — man  to  give  me 
away  !  and  all  was  reg — reg — reg — regular !  "  answered 
Elfie,  scarcely  able  to  articulate  through  her  gasping  sobs. 

"Nonsense,  my  dear  girl !  The  vital,  valid,  lawful  part 
of  the  affair,  without  which  all  the  rest  was  all  invalid,  null 
and  void,  was  wanting,"  laughed  Justin. 

"  And  what  was  that — at  ?  "  sobbed  Elfie. 

"  The  consent  of  the  woman,  of  course  ! " 

"  Oh,  but  they  had  that !  " 

«  ELFIE  ! " 

"  They  took  it  by  force,  as  they  took  me.  That  man — an 
— who  acted  as  my  pap — pap — papa,  took  me  by  my  neck 
and  hair  and  bobbed  my  head  down  three  or  four  times  in 
the  most  positive  manner,  as  if  he  meant  me  to  say,  'Yes, 
yes,  YES  ! '  and  the  ceremony  went  on." 

"  The  villain  !  But,  Elfie,  my  dear,  that  was  no  consent. 
Nonsense,  my  child !  You  are  no  more  bound  in  law  or 


296  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

gospel  to  your  guerrilla  abductor  than  you  are  to  any  other 
savage  you  can  think  of.  Give  yourself  no  uneasiness  on 
that  subject,  Miss  Fielding"  said  Justin,  with  an  inten- 
tional emphasis  on  Elfie's  maiden  name. 

Apparently  Elfie  was  not  grateful  for  the  consideration. 

"  Justin  Rosenthal,  I'll  thank  you  not  to  call  me  '  Miss 
Fielding  ! '  How  do  I  know  but  what  I  am  Mrs.  Golds- 
borough  ?  I  hate  to  be  placed  in  an  equivocal  position  ;  and 
I  won't  be  neither,  there  !  Call  me  Elfie.  The  name  given 
me  in  baptism  is  the  only  one  either  you  or  I  can  feel  dead 
sure  I  am  entitled  to  bear ! "  exclaimed  the  girl,  passion- 
ately. 

"  Very  well,  my  child.  Just  as  you  please  ! "  laughed 
Justin,  with  a  shrug  of  his  shoulders. 

Elfie  pouted  so  long  in  silence  that  Justin  found  it  neces- 
sary to  recall  her  to  her  narrative. 

"  Come,  Elfie,"  he  said,  "tell  me  how  you  and  your  com- 
panion in  captivity  happened  to  be  bound  to  these  trees  ?  " 

"  You  know,"  answered  Elfie,  "  I  told  you  how  when 
Albert  Goldsborough  found  that  a  battle  was  in  progress  on 
the  hill,  he  made  us  dismount,  and  took  away  our  horses, 
and  set  a  mounted  guard  of  six  guerrillas  to  watch  us." 

«  Yes." 

"  Well,  they  watched  us  closely  enough  for  a  while.  I 
couldn't  stir,  even  to  walk  about  and  stretch  my  cramped 
limbs,  without  being  threatened  with  a  rifle  levelled  at 
me ! " 

"  The  wretches  !  " 

"  And  all  that  time  we  heard  the  firing  in  the  distance, 
and  knew  that  a  great  battle  was  going  on  between  the 
guerrillas  and  our  own  troops.  And  we  prayed  heartily  for 
the  success  of  our  men." 

"  Your  prayers  were  heard,  El  He." 

"  Of  course  we  could  not  guess  which  way  the  tide  of 
victory  would  turn.  We  could  only  see  the  clouds  upon 


ELFIE      IN      THE     GROVE.  297 

clouds  of  black  and  sulphurous  smoke  rolling  over  the  hill, 
and  hear  the  continual  firing,  and  smell  the  suffocating 
fumes  of  gunpowder  that  were  overpowering  even  at  this 
distance." 

"  That  was  because  the  wind  blew  straight  from  the  hill 
in  this  direction." 

"  In  this  way  several  hours  passed,  and  then  we  began  to 
hear  the  thunder  of  flying  horsemen  crossing  the  plain. 
And  one  of  our  guard  rode  out  to  reconnoitre,  and  came 
back  in  a  hurry,  exclaiming  : 

"  '  By  the  devil !  if  the  clock  peddlers  haven't  beaten  us  ! 
Our  men  are  flj'ing  as  fast  as  their  horses  can  carry  them 
before  the  Yankee  cavalry !  I  am  not  agoing  to  stay  here 
guarding  a  girl  and  a  parson,  until  I  am  captured  !  What 
do  you  say,  boys  ?  ' 

"  Apparently  the  e  boys '  agreed  with  their  companion. 
They  rode  together  and  consulted  in  a  low  voice  and  in 
great  excitement,  while  we  still  felt,  as  it  seemed,  the  very 
earth  shake  with  the  thunder  of  the  flying  and  chasing 
horsemen.  Meanwhile  I  felt  great  hopes  of  being  allowed 
to  escape.  My  hopes  were  soon  destroyed,  however,  by  the 
words  of  the  corporal,  who  had  command  of  the  guard. 

" '  It  will  never  do  to  let  them  get  off,  blast  them !  any 
more  than  it  will  do  for  us  to  stay  here  and  be  captured  by 
the  Yankees  !  I'll  tell  you  what,  boys !  we  will  tie  them  to 
trees,  so  that  if  the  colonel  does  come  back  to  look  for  them 
— which  I  doubt  very  much  if  he  will,  even  if  he  should 
have  escaped  being  killed  or  wounded,  or  taken  prisoner — 
he  will  find  them ;  that's  all !  Now  what  do  you  say  to 
that!' 

"  The  corporal's  proposal  was  adopted  by  acclamation. 
And  the  wretches  .immediately  seized  us  and  bound  us,  each 
to  a  tree,  as  you  found  us,  Justin.  And  then  they  mounted 
their  horses  an<?  galloped  away,  and  we  saw  no  more  of 
them." 


298  HOW     HE     WON      HEK. 

"  Nor  of  any  others  ?  " 

"No!  we  remained  here,  while  the  night  grew  darker, 
and  darker.  We  still  occasionally  felt  the  earth  shake  under 
the  thunder  of  the  flying  and  following  horsemen ;  but  no 
one  entered  the  grove.  And  after  a  while  even  that  noise 
ceased." 

"  Were  you  frightened,  Elfie  ?  " 

"  No,  not  until  a  wolf  or  some  other  wild  animal  came  up 
and  stood  before  me,  and  looked  up  in  my  face  with  his  fiery 
eyes,  as  if  he  were  balancing  the  question  whether  he 
should  eat  me  then,  or  take  his  supper  a  few  minutes  later. 
I  felt  my  flesh  creep  and  my  blood  grow  cold  then,  Justin  ! 
And  T  screamed  with  all  my  might.  And  the  creature  took 
to  its  heels  and  ran  away  ! " 
«  Poor  Elfie  I" 

"After  that  Mr.  Simmons  and  I,  thinking  that  some  of 
our  men  might  be  about,  took  our  turns  in  crying,  '  Help ' 
and  '  Murder.'     And  at  last,  just  as  our  lungs  were  giving 
out,  you  came  to  our  relief,  Justin." 
"And  that  is  all!" 

"  Yes,  except  this,  Justin !     In  the  midst  of  our  own 
personal  distress,  we  still  remembered  to  thank  Heaven  for^ 
giving  us  the  victory  !  " 

As  Elfie  spoke,  the  sound  of  an  approaching  troop  of 
horses  was  heard.  And  soon  they  seemed  to  have  drawn  up 
on  the  outskirts  of  the  grove. 

Wing  came  to  report  to  his  colonel. 

"  The  regiment  has  arrived  on  the  ground,  sir.  Also  the 
army  wagons  with  the  commissary  stores  that  were  sent 
after  us  from  W.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Wedgewood  has  dis- 
patched messengers  to  hurry  up  the  ambulances  for  the 
transportation  of  the  wounded,  who  are  now  receiving  all 
the  attention  that  it  is  possible  to  bestow  upon  them  in 
their  present  position.  To-morrow  I  hope  to  be  able  to 
submit  to  you  a  correct  report  of  the  killed,  wounded  and 
prisoners." 


EL  FIE     IN     THE      GROVE.  299 

"  Quite  right,  Adjutant,"  said  Colonel  Kosenthal.  Then, 
changing  his  tone  a  little,  he  continued  :  "  And  now,  Wing, 
I  think  you  had  better  remain  here  with  this  young  lady 
and  the  preacher,  while  I  go  to  take  a  look  at  my  poor 
fellows." 

And  with  a  bow  to  Elfie  and  her  companion,  Justin 
Kosenthal  walked  away  from  them. 

Now  all  was  cheerful  bustle  in  and  around  the  grove. 

The  men  dismounted,  took  their  saddles  from  their  horses, 
and  secured  the  weary  beasts  to  the  trees  on  the  outer  edge 
of  the  grove. 

Then  they  began  active  preparations  for  refreshment  and 
rest.  They  unloaded  the  army  wagons,  and  every  man 
watered  and  foddered  his  horse  before  thinking  of  himself. 

Then  some  went  to  work  kindling  tires  to  cook  by  ;  others 
began  preparing  food ;  others  again  busied  themselves  with 
building  rude  shelters  of  boughs  to  protect  them  from  the 
night  air. 

By  the  orders  of  Colonel  Rosenthal,  a  party  of  the  men 
went  to  that  part  of  the  grove  where  Elfie  and  her  com- 
panions were  waiting,  and  there,  under  the  immediate 
direction  of  Adjutant  Wing,  they  constructed  a  comfortable 
hut  of  cedar  boughs  for  Elfie's  accommodation. 

And  soon  in  front  of  this  hut  a  good  supper  was  served 
of  strong  coffee,  with  white  sugar  and  condensed  milk,  and 
broiled  ham,  with  fried  potatoes,  and  loaf  bread  and  camp 
biscuits. 

Elfie,  Mr.  Simmons,  Colonel  Kosenthal  and  Wing  sat 
down  to  this  supper.  And  though  every  one  of  them  pla3~ed 
well  their  parts,  the  poor,  consumpti^  preacher  excelled 
them  all  in  gastronomic  feats. 

During  the  meal,  which  was  eaten  by  torch  light,  strange 
glances  were  observed  to  pass  between  Elfie  and  Wing. 
From  time  to  time  Elfie  looked  furtively  at  the  young 
adjutant,  who  sedulously  avoided  her  glances.  But  at 


800  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

length,  when  Wing  surprised  Elfie  gazing  steadily  at  him 
he  opened  his  dark  eyes  to  their  widest  extent  and  favored 
her  with  a  stare  of  astonishment  that  at  once  put  an  end 
to  the  play. 

After  supper  Elfie  retired  to  her  hut  where,  upon  a  bed 
of  leaves,  she  slept  comfortably,  guarded  on  one  side  of  her 
dwelling  by  the  old  minister,  and  on  the  other  side  by  the 
young  adjutant. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

KEQUIESCAT   I5f    PACE. 

Shut  out  from  them  the  bitter  word. 

And  serpent  hiss  of  scorning. 
Nor  let  the  storms  of  yesterday 

Disturb  their  quiet  morning; 
Breathe  over  them  forgetfulness 

Of  all  save  deeds  of  kindness, 
And  save  to  tears  of  pitying  eyes, 

Press  down  their  lids  in  blindness.— WHITTIER. 

THE  next  day  was  devoted  to  a  solemn  duty.  The  dead 
were  buried  where  they  had  fallen  on  the  battle  field. 

All  except  Alberta  and  Vittorio. 

Our  soldiers  felt  that  they  must  find  a  grave  in  conse- 
crated ground  in  which  to  place  the  poor  woman,  and  also 
that  they  must  lay  beside  her  the  husband  for  whom  she  so 
vainly  died. 

So  after  they  had  given  Christian  burial  to  the  heroic 
dead,  they  placed  the  remains  of  the  Free  Sword  and  his 
wife  in  an  army  hearse  and  conveyed  them  to  a  little,  old, 
deserted  country  churchyard,  some  three  miles  distant  on 
the  road  to  W.,  where  the  chaplain  of  the  regiment  read 
over  them  the  funeral  service,  and  where  they  were  finally 
laid  side  by  side  in  their  resting-place — not  unwept. 

The  tears  of  Elfie,  who  attended  the  funeral,  fell  like  rain. 


"  REQUIESCAT     IN    PACE.  801 

And  even  Wing,  who  was  charged  with  the  husiness  of  the 
burial,  was  said  to  have  dimmed  the  smart  gold  lace  of  his 
adjutant's  uniform  with  drops  of  sorrow. 

The  wounded  were  tenderly  laid  in  ambulances,  and  sent 
on  to  W.  under  an  escort  of  one  company  of  cavalry. 

As  Elfie  evinced  the  utmost  impatience  to  return  home, 
and  as  Colonel  Bosenthal  was  anxious  to  be  rid  of  all  en- 
cumbrances, so  that  he  might  immediately  go  after  Monck, 
he  next  morning  sent  Miss  Fielding  under  a  guard  of  honor, 
commanded  by  Adjutant  Wing,  to  the  Point  of  Rocks, 
from  which  she  was  to  take  the  evening  train  to  Wash- 
ington. 

It  was  while  waiting  at  a  Union  farmhouse  near  the 
station,  that  Elfie  learned  the  final  ending  of  the  picnic 
party.  The  old  farmer  informed  her  that  after  the  guer- 
rillas fled,  leaving  the  excursionists  on  the  hill,  they — the 
excursionists — went  down  to  look  for  their  boat,  with  the 
intention  of  returning  to  the  city  by  the  same  way  in 
which  they  had  come. 

But  on  reaching  the  foot  of  the  hill  and  the  side  of 
the  canal,  they  found  that  their  boat  had  been  robbed  of 
all  its  movable  effects,  and  then  scuttled  and  sunk. 

The  unfortunate  creatures  had  nothing  to  do  but  to 
return  to  the  top  of  the  hill  and  lay  down  to  sleep  as 
well  as  they  could  in  the  open  air. 

The  next  morning,  cold,  hungry,  and  cruelly  stiff  and 
sore  in  all  their  limbs,  they  set  out  to  walk  to  the  Point 
of  Rocks,  to  wait  for  the  train  to  Washington. 

But  such  a  starved  and  wretched  set  of  ragamuffins 
they  looked,  that  the  conductor  of  the  train,  when  it  came, 
distrusted  them,  and  refused  to  take  them  on  until  they 
had  told  and  proved  their  story. 

Such  was  the  account  of  the  picnic  party  given  by  the 
old  farmer  to  Elfie. 

"  But  there  was  one  of  their  number  who  was  hurt — a 


302  HOW      HE      WON     HER. 

young  man — a  little  man  with  light  hair  and  blue  eyes. 
Do  you  know  anything  about  him  ?  ;'  inquired  Elfie. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  answered  the  old  farmer,  quickly.    "  Oh,  yes 
he  was  very  badly  hurt,  indeed.     They  brought  him  here 
on  an  old    door,  two   men    supporting   him  in  front,  and 
two  behind.     And  they  put  him  on  the  train,  and  took  him 
on  to  the  city  with  them." 

"  Do  you — do  you — think  that  he  was  dangerously  hurt  ?  " 
breathlessly  inquired  Elfie. 

"Well,  Miss,  I  should  think  he  was.  His  skull  was 
fractured." 

"  Oh,  Heaven  of  Heavens !  I  hope  not — I  earnestly 
hope  not !  Did  you — did  you  hear  anything  of  him  after- 
wards ?  "  said  Elfie,  clasping  her  hands  tightly,  as  if  she  were 
rather  entreating  a  favorable  answer  than  asking  for  a  true 
one. 

"No,  Miss,  I  never  heard  a  breath  of  him  afterwards. 
Was  he  a  relation  or  friend  of  yours  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no — only  an  acquaintance  of  a  few  weeks.  But  I 
would  like  to  know  his  fate." 

"Well,  then,  Miss,  seeing  that  he  is  not  a  relation  of 
yours,  nor  likewise  a  very  intimate  friend,  I  might  as  well 
be  frank  with  you.  I  don't  think  he  could  have  got  over 
that  hurt.  You  see  he  was  very  badly  hurt.  His  skull  was 
fractured.  And  he  had  laid  all  night  without  a  doctor's 
assistance.  And  he  was  quite  insensible  when  he  was 
brought  here  next  morning.  You  wouldn't  have  known  he 
was  alive  if  you  hadn't  put  your  ear  down  close  to  his 
mouth ;  so  faint  and  low  was  his  breathing.  And  then, 
you  see,  there  was  that  long  journey  back  to  Washington. 
All  enough  to  kill  him.  Everything  against  him.  And  he 
such  a  little  bit  of  a  fellow.  And  so  I  don't  think  it  possi- 
ble he  could  have  got  over  it,"  said  the  farmer. 

"  Oh,  Mim !  dear  Mim  !  it  was  all  for  my  sake !  And 
if  you  really  are  killed  I  shall  break  my  heart !  I  know  I 
shall ! "  cried  Elfie,  wringing  her  hands  and  weeping. 


R'QTJIESCAT     IN    PACE.  803 

"Miss  Fielding,"  said  Adjutant  Wing,  "  there  is  good  hope 
to  believe  that  the  young  man  is  not  killed.  While  I  was 
a  prisoner  in  Monck's  camp  I  got  hold  of  a  morning  paper 
in  which  the  return  of  the  picnic  party  was  chronicled,  and 
young  Mim  mentioned  as  '  seriously  '  injured.  '  Seriously/ 
mind ;  not  dangerously.  And  newspaper  paragraphs  seldom 
or  never  understate  a  thing." 

"  That  is  very  true,  Adjutant,  and  very  hopeful,"  said 
Elfie,  wiping  her  eyes ;  "  very  hopeful ;  but  I  wish  I  was 
assured  of  his  safety." 

"  You  will  be  so,  I  trust,  in  a  very  few  hours.  The  train 
will  be  here  at  six,  and  you  will  be  in  Washington  before 
ten,"  said  Wing. 

The  old  farmer's  hospitable  wife  was  busy  preparing  as 
good  an  evening  meal  as  her  limited  means  allowed  her  to 
get  up  for  her  guests. 

When  it  was  ready  she  invited  them,  to  a  table  covered 
with  tea,  milk  and  butter,  home-made  bread,  ham  and  eggs ; 
and  broiled  chicken,  honey  and  preserves. 

Elfie  and  Wing  did  much  honor  to  this  meal ;  and  by  the 
time  it  was  ended  the  train  of  cars  was  heard  thundering 
onward  towards  the  station. 

Elfie  took  leave  of  her  kind  host  and  hostess,  thanking 
them  earnestly  for  their  hospitality. 

Wing  placed  the  young  lady  in  a  comfortable  seat  in  the 
best  car ;  and  the  train  started  again  on  its  way  to  Wash- 
ington. 

And  soon  after  Adjutant  Wing  called  his  men  together 
and  set  out  to  join  his  regiment. 


804  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

ELFIE'S  RETURN. 

One  by  one,  thy  duties  wait  thee, 

Let  thy  whole  strength  go  to  each, 
Let  nq  future  dreams  elate  thee, 

Learn  thou  first  what  these  can  teach. 
One  by  one,  bright  gifts  from  Heaven, 

Joys  are  sent  thee  here  below  ; 
Take  them  readily  when  given, 

Beady,  too,  to  le't  them  go.— A.  A.  PBOCTEB. 

IT  was  nearly  ten  o'clock  when  the  train  steamed  into 
the  station.  Elfie  got  out  on  the  platform.  As  she  had  no 
luggage  to  look  after  nor  even  a  parasol  nor  a  hand-bag  to 
encumber  her,  she  quickly  made  her  way  to  the  street, 
where  omnibus-drivers  and  cab-men  were  cracking  their 
whips,  and  vociferating  their  routes  ;  and  where  porters 
were  quarreling  over  their  loads,  and  policemen  adding  much 
to  the  general  noise  and  confusion. 

Elfie  had  not  been  robbed  by  the  guerrillas  ;  and  she  had 
still  in  her  pocket  the  little  portmonnie,  well  filled  with 
"  green-backs  "  and  "  fractional  currency,"  that  her  father 
had  given  her  some  weeks  before,  when  he  had  gone  to  join 
his  regiment.  So  she  called  a  carriage,  taking  care  to  pass 
by  all  those  with  yelling  drivers,  and  to  select  one  in  charge 
of  a  well-conducted  coachman. 

"  Where  to,  Miss  ?  "  inquired  the  latter,  touching  his  hat, 
after  he  had  assisted  Miss  Fielding  into  her  seat. 

Elfie  gave  him  the  direction.  The  man  got  upon  his 
box.  And  the  carriage  was  driven  off  towards  the  par- 
sonage. 

"Now  I  wonder  if  my  sudden  arrival  will  shock  Er- 
minie  very  much  ?  Or  if  it  does,  if  the  shock  will  hurt 
her  ?  She  has  no  reason  whatever  to  expect  me.  She  may 
even  have  retired  to  bed.  Perhaps  I  ought  rather  to  go  to 
a  hotel  to-night,  and  send  for  Dr.  Sales  in  the  morning,  and 


ELFIE'S    RETURN.  305 

get  him  to  break  the  news  gently  to  Erminie,"  mused 
Elfie,  as  she  sat  back  in  her  carriage. 

But  she  did  not  act  upon  her  thought.  On  the  contrary, 
she  exclaimed  to  herself: 

"  Bosh  !  it  won't  be  such  a  shock  to  her,  after  all !  I  am 
not  returning  from  the  grave!  She  had  no  reason  to  be- 
lieve me  dead?  And  if  she  had  had,  though  she  loved  me 
very  much,  she  didn't  love  me  to  such  excess  as  to  die  of 
joy  at  my  resurrection.  And  besides,  I  couldn't  possibly 
wait  till  to-morrow  to  see  her,  and  to  hear  from  dear  little 
Mim." 

And  upon  this  decision  Elfie  rested,  laying  back  at  ease 
in  her  cushions  until  the  carriage  reached  the  gates  of  the 
parsonage. 

Then  she  eagerly  looked  out  to  see  if  there  were  any 
external  signs  by  which  she  could  guess  whether  the  house- 
hold had  retired  for  the  night. 

"  All  right !  I  see  the  lights  gleaming  through  the 
library  shutters,  and  I  know  by  them  Erminie  is  still  up," 
she  said  to  herself,  as  the  carriage  stopped  and  the  coach- 
man got  down  and  opened  the  door. 

"  Here  is  the  Collar  agreed  upon  for  your  fare !  And 
here  is  half  a  dollar  extra  to  reward  you  for  not  roaring 
at  travellers  like  the  other  hackmen  did !  "  said  Elfie,  as 
she  quickly  thrust  the  money  into  the  man's  hand,  and 
opened  the  gate. 

As  the  carriage  drove  off  again,  she  ran  up  the  walk 
leading  from  the  gate  to  the  front  door  of  the  house.  And 
when  she  reached  it  she  seized  the  bell-pull  and  rang  a  peal 
like  a  fire-alarm. 

The  door  was  opened  by  old  Uncle  Bob,  who,  on  seeing 
his  young  mistress,  jumped  a  yard  backward,  exclaiming : 

«  Praise  the  Lord,  Miss  Elfie  !  is  this  you  ?  " 

"  Yes  !  yes  !  Where  is  Erminie  ?  "  cried  Elfie,  and  with- 
out waiting  for  an  answer,  she  rushed  past  the  old  man, 
19 


306  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

tore  open  the  library  door,  and  bounced  in  upon  the  young 
mistress  of  the  mansion. 

Erminie,  looking  like  some  fair  spirit  of  peace,  sat  in  her 
deep  arm-chair  by  the  library  table,  reading  by  the  light  of 
a  shaded  gas-burner. 

On  raising  her  eyes  to  see  who  it  was  who  rushed  into  her 
presence  so  rudely,  and  recognizing  Elfie,  she  laid  down  her 
book  and  arose  and  opened  her  arms,  and  folded  the  wild 
girl  fondly  to  her  bosom,  while  her  tears  fell  warmly  on  the 
little,  black  head. 

"  Thank  Heaven  for  your  safe  return !  Oh,  Elfie,  my 
dear,  I  am  so  happy  to  have  you  back  again ! "  said 
Erminie,  gently  releasing  Elfie,  and  placing  her  in  the 
easiest  resting-chair. 

"  I  was  half  afraid  to  come  upon  you  so  suddenly, 
Erminie,  dear.  I  was  afraid  I  should  shock  you.  But  in- 
deed, indeed,  I  had  not  self-denial  enough  to  go  to  a  hotel 
and  stop  all  night,  and  wait  until  I  could  send  for  Dr.  Sales 
to  break  the  news  to  you." 

"  I  am  very  glad  you  came  at  once  to  the  house,  my  dear. 
The  other  proceeding  would  have  been  highly  improper  in  a 
young  lady,  travelling  alone,  in  a  city  full  of  soldiers,"  said 
Erminie. 

" '  Full  of  soldiers  ! '  fiddle-de-dee  !  I  have  been  march- 
ing and  counter  marching,  fighting  and  flying,  among  sol- 
diers and  guerrillas,  for  the  last  ten  days !  So  I  have  no 
reason  to  be  frightened  at  them.  But  I  am  glad  I  didn't 
startle  you  by  pouncing  in  upon  you  so  unexpectedly." 

"  You  startled  me  a  little,  dear ;  but  it  was  with  a  very 
pleasant  shock." 

"  And  oh  !  I  was  so  impatient  to  see  you,  and  to  hear 
from  my  brave  little  Mim.  Oh,  Erminie,  can  you  tell  me 
about  my  little  Mim  ?  "  anxiously  inquired  Elfie. 

"  He  is  quite  out  of  danger,  and  is  getting  well  fast." 

"  Thank  Heaven  for  that !     I  should  never  have  got  over 


ELFIE'S    RETURN.  807 

his  death  if  he  had  died,  the  dear  little  hero  !  But — he  ivas 
in  danger  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes.  However,  that  is  quite  past.  I  saw  him  this 
morning.  I  went  to  see  him  every  day,  for  your  sake, 
Elfie." 

"  Heaven  hless  you  for  that,  dear !  Erininie,  were  you 
very  anxious  about  me  when  I  didn't  get  home  that  night  ?  " 

"  I  was  uneasy,"  replied  the  Lutheran  minister's  daugh- 
ter, who  was  hy  no  means  "  gushing,"  and  never  exagger- 
ated her  emotions.  "  1  was  uneasy :  hut  I  thought  you 
must  have  decided  to  prolong  your  excursion,  and  I  knew 
you  were  with  a  large  party,  well  able  to  protect  you." 

"  Umph — umph  !  "  said  Elfie,  who  was  slightly  disap- 
pointed in  not  having  created  a  greater  sensation.  "  Umph 
— umph  !  But  next  day,  when  the  excursionists  got  back, 
bringing  little  Mim  with  his  skull  fractured,  and  the  news 
that  I  had  been  carried  off  by  guerrillas  !  How  then,  Er- 
minie  ?  " 

"  I  was  very  much  shocked,  and  very  anxious  at  first ; 
and  I  called  on  some  of  the  ladies  to  learn  the  facts.  And 
when  I  discovered  that  it  was  your  cousin  and  old  adorer, 
Albert  Goldsborough,  who  had  carried  you  off,  I  felt  re- 
assured." 

"  Upon  what  ground,  if  one  might  inquire  ?  "  demanded 
Elfie,  rather  piqued  at  her  friend's  self-possession. 

"  Upon  that  of  a  certainty  that  Albert  Goldsborough 
would  allow  no  injury  to  be  done  you.  I  foresaw  that  he 
would  detain  you  in  a  sort  of  honorable  captivity  for  a 
while,  and  use  all  his  influence  and  eloquence  to  induce  or 
persuade  you  to  marry  him ;  and  that  when  he  should  fail 
to  do  so,  he  would  send  you  back  to  your  home,  as  he  has 
apparently  done." 

"  Indeed !  Well,  you  have  a  good  deal  to  learn  from  me 
yet,  Erminie,"  said  Elfie. 

"  You  shall  tell  me  all  your  experience  since  you  left  me 


308  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

dear;  but  not  until  you  have  had  rest  and  refreshments 
My  curiosity  can  wait,"  said  Miss  Eosenthal,  touching  the 
bell. 

Catherine  came  to  answer  the  summons.  She  had  heard 
frcm  Old  Bob  of  the  arrival,  and  now  she  came  in — eager, 
smiling  diffident,  and  curtesying  to  welcome  Miss  Fielding. 

"  Come  and  shake  hands  with  me  if  you  are  glad  to  see 
me,  girl !  and  don't  stand  there  bobbing  at  me  like  a 
Chinese  madarin.  That  is  no  way  to  welcome  a  friend  who 
has  returned  safely  from  captivity  among  the  guerrillas," 
said  Elfie,  heartily  offering  her  hand  to  the  German  girl, 
who  snatched  and  pressed  it  to  her  heart  and  lips. 

"  Now,  my  dear  Elfie,  what  will  you  have  prepared  ? 
The  fire,  I  know,  is  in  full  blast  in  the  kitchen  range,  and 
there  is  a  plenty  of  hot  water  in  the  boiler,  and  plenty  of 
provisions  in  the  pantry.  Order  what  you  like,  my  dear. 
You  are  at  home  here,  you  know,"  said  Erminie. 

"I  know  I  am,  thanks  to  your  boundless  hospitality. 
But  I  had  a  substantial  meal  hours  ago  at  an  old  farm-house 
near  the  railway  station  at  the  Point  of  Kocks.  What  I 
want  first  of  all  is  a  warm  bath  and  a  change  of  clothes. 
Oh,  just  only  think  of  it,  I  have  been  ten  days  without  the 
one  or  the  other  !  " 

"Dear  me!"  said  Erminie,  opening  her  brown  eyes  in 
dismay. 

If  Miss  Rosenthal  had  heard  that  her  friend  had  been 
under  fire  in  forty  separate  fights  in  this  time,  it  would  not 
have  shocked  her  so  much. 

"  It  is  a  fact,  Erminie.  And  I  tell  you  the  deprivation 
has  cured  me  of  one  folly,"  said  Elfie,  nodding  her  head. 

"  What  is  that  ?  " 

"  The  desire  to  serve  as  a  soldier  in  the  ranks.  There  is 
too  much  grime  mixed  up  with  the  glory.  I  shouldn't  so 
much  mind  the  sabre  strokes,  nor  the  shot  and  shell,  nor 
even  the  commissary  coffee,  salt  pork  and  hard  tack.  But 


ELFIE    S      RETURN.  O0» 

I  wouldn't — no,  not  even  for  the  sake  of  my  country — would 
I  endure  the  lack  of  clean  linen  and  fresh  water  and  the 
abundance  of  dirt  and — 'inthects"  as  my  friend  Billingcoo 
delicately  puts  it.  So  I  think  I  will  leave  the  men  who  are 
not  fastidious  to  fight  the  battles,  and  wear  the  breeches, 
and  I  will  rest  contented  with  crinoline  and  cleanliness  for 
the  remainder  of  my  life." 

"  I  think  you  would  do  well,"  answered  Erminie.  "  But 
now,  after  your  bath  and  change  of  clothing,  you  will  re- 
quire something.  What  shall  it  be  ?  A  glass  of  mulled 
wine,  a  cup  of  coffee  and  sandwiches  ?  " 

"  A  cup  of  tea  and  a  round  of  toast,  if  you  please,  my 
dear.  I  couldn't  go  anything  heavier  than  that.  After- 
wards we  will  have  such  a  talk !  You  have  no  idea  how 
much  I  have  got  to  tell  you,  Erminie." 

"  Then  you  shall  have  your  bath  immediately,  after  which 
you  shall  slip  on  a  dressing  gown  and  come  to  my  bed-room. 
I  will  order  your  tea  served  there,  where  we  can  talk  at 
ease." 

"  You  angel ! — There  !  I  don't  want  to  say  anything 
sentimental  or  sickening,  but  you  are  an  angel,  if  I  know 
anything  about  the  cloudy  creatures,  which  perhaps  I  don't. 
A  mere  mortal  might  have  put  me  off  with  my  own  room, 
or  any  other  one  in  this  big  house ;  but  you  take  me  to 
yours  ;  consequently  you  are  an  angel !  " 

"  Nonsense,  Elfie." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  dare  say  it  is  nonsense — nothing  more  likely. 
Whenever  I  speak  from  my  heart  I  am  apt  to  talk  nonsense, 
I  believe." 

And  then,  as  Catherine  was  waiting  to  attend  her,  Elfie 
arose,  gave  her  friend  a  rousing  kiss  and  left  the  library. 

An  hour  later  than  this,  at  about  eleven  o'clock  in  the 
night,  Elfie,  thoroughly  refreshed  with  her  warm  bath  and 
fresh  clothing,  and  wrapped  in  a  white  merino  dressing 
gown,  and  with  her  feet  thrust  into  white  fur  slippers,  sat 


810  H  0  \V      II  E      \V  OK      HER. 

in  an  easy  chair  before  the  bright  little  wood-fire  in 
Erminie's  bed-room. 

Erminie  sat  opposite  to  her,  and  between  them  stood  a 
stand  with  a  little  tete-a-tete  silver  and  porcelain  tea- 
service. 

And  while  she  took  her  tea,  which  Erminie  shared  for 
sociability  sake,  Elfie  related  her  adventures  among  the 
guerrillas. 

"  I  have  so  much  to  tell  you,  Erminie  dear,  that  indeed  I 
do  not  know  where  to  begin.  But  first  tell  me :  Have 
you  heard  from  your  brother  or  from  Britomarte  lately  ?  " 

"  They — they  are  safe  ?  "  gasped  Erminie,  in  sudden, 
deadly  fear. 

"  They  are  both  safe  at  this  present  moment.  At  least  it 
is  fair  to  presume  that  they  are,  for  your  brother  was  alive 
and  well  at  seven  o'clock  this  morning ;  and  Britomarte 
was  alive  and  well  at  seven  o'clock  this  evening." 

"  You  saw  them  ?  You  saw  them  both  ?  My  brother 
and — and  Britomarte  ?  "  anxiously  inquired  Erminie. 

"  Now  I  didn't  say  all  that.  I  said  they  were  alive  and 
well  at  the  times  I  stated.  I  will  add  that  they  were  at 
liberty,  in  good  spirits,  and  in  no  sort  of  danger,"  said 
Elfie. 

"You  speak  of  them  as  if  they  were  together  —  are 
they  ?  " 

"  I  spoke  in  no  such  manner.  Nor  I  did  not  mean  to  do 
so.  Together  indeed!  That's  likely.  But  you  haven't 
answered  my  question  yet.  You 'haven't  told  me  when  you 
heard  from  your  brother  and  from  your  friend." 

"  I  got  a  letter  from  my  dear  Justin  little  more  than  a 
week  ago.  He  had  just  been  appointed  to  the  command  of 
a  regiment  of  cavalry  on  duty  at  W.  And  he  was  about  to 
start  for  that  place  immediately.  His  letter  was  post- 
marked H." 

"Yes 5    well,  I  believe  he  is  still  in  command  of  that 


ELFIE 'S     RETURN.  811 

regiment.  But  now  as  to  Britomarte.  When  did  you  hear 
from  her  ?  " 

"  About  a  fortnight  ago.  A  letter  postmarked  Baltimore 
reached  me,  merely  saying  that  she  was  well,  and  giving  me 
the  mysterious  information  that  you  were  under  the  protec- 
tion of  Madam  Corsoni." 

"  Oh,  Alberta  !     Poor,  poor  Alberta  ! "  sighed  Elfie. 

"  What  about  her,  my  dear  ?  "  inquired  Miss  Rosenthal. 

"  Oh,  Erminie,  as  I  said  before,  I  have  so  much  to  tell 
you  !  You  have  no  idea  where  Britomarte  is  ?  " 

"None  in  the  world,  unless  she  is*living  in  obscurity 
somewhere  in  Baltimore  and  perhaps  acting  on  the  stage 
under  an  assumed  name.  Her  letters  give  me  no  informa- 
tion of  her  manner  of  life,  and  they  bear  no  address  except 
the  broad  one — Baltimore." 

"  She  is  not  in  Baltimore.  She  is,  however,  acting  under 
an  assumed  name  an  important  part,  in  the  greatest  drama 
and  on  the  broadest  stage  the  world  has  ever  seen." 

"  In  the  name  of  Heaven,  Elfie,  what  do  you.  mean  ?  " 
demanded  Erminie. 

"  I  have  no  right  to  explain.  I  had  no  right  even  to  say 
as  much  as  I  have  said.  But  this  I  will  impart — That  it 
is  to  Britomarte's  tact,  courage  and  heroism  that  /  owe  my 
deliverance  from  a  fate  far  worse  than  death,  and  Colonel 
Rosenthal  owes  the  most  signal  victory  of  his  military 
career ! — a  victory  that  has  rid  the  Valley  of  the  Shenan- 
doah  from  one  of  its  greatest  scourges,  and  that  will  cer- 
tainly make  the  victor  a  brigadier-general,"  said  Elfie,  in 
sympathetic  pride. 

"You  astonish  me  more  and  more.  You  amaze  me, 
Elfie!  Was  Britomarte  a  spy?"  inquired  Erminie,  her 
large  brown  eyes  dilating  to  double  their  size. 

"  I  am  not  in  Britomarte's  confidence.  And  if  I  were  so, 
or  even  if  I  had  discovered  her  secrets  by  chance,  I,  who 
owe  my  earthly  salvation  to  her — I  should  be  an  ingrate  and 


812  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

a  traitor  to  betray  her.  So  you  see  I  cannot  clearly  explain 
my  words.  But  I  will  relate  my  adventures  among  the 
guerrillas;  and  when  you  have  heard  them  you  may  judge 
for  yourself  and  guess  what  you  like  ;  so  that  you  hold  your 
tongue  as  discreetly,  or  rather,  let  us  hope,  more  discreetly 
than  I  have  held  mine,"  said  Elfie,  as  she  poured  out  for  her- 
self another  cup  of  tea. 

"  Do  so,  then,  my  dear.  I  am  very  anxious  to  hear  all 
you  have  to  tell  me,"  urged  Erminie. 

Elfie  drank  her  tea  and  then  began  the  story  of  her  cap- 
tivity. 

As  she  spoke  of  the  spy  in  the  camp  of  the  Free  Sword, 
Erminie  nodded  her  head  several  times  with  a  look  of  com- 
prehension ;  but  she  made  no  comment  in  words. 

When  Elfie  came  to  speak  of  her  forced  marriage  she 
wept  with  anger  and  mortification  ;  but  Erminie  assured 
her,  as  Justin  had  done  before,  that  the  marriage  was  null 
and  void  in  law. 

"  MARRIAGE  is  MUTUAL  CONSENT,  Elfie,  and  there  was 
no  mutual  consent  there,"  she  urged. 

"  You  may  be  right,  or  you  may  be  wrong,  Erminie.  I 
shall  take  counsel  of  both  clergymen  and  lawyers  before  I 
venture  to  decide  a  question  in  which  my  honor  is  concerned. 
I  would  rather  be  a  wretched  wife  than  an  erring  woman 
anytime.  But  let  me  go  on  with  my  story.  Ah,  Heaven  ! 
the  worst  is  behind !  There  were  greater  sufferers  than 
myself  in  it !  " 

"  Justin  ?  "  anxiously  exclaimed  Erminie. 

"  I  told  you  before  that  he  was  alive  and  well.  Have  you 
forgotten  that  ?  " 

"  Who  then  ?  " 

"  Alberta  !  poor,  poor  Alberta !  " 

"  You  spoke  of  her  just  now.  Of  course  she  could  not 
have  been  otherwise  than  most  wretched  in  the  life  she  led, 
poor  woman  !  But  I  hope  no  greater  misfortune  overtook 
her  ! "  said  Erminie. 


ELFIE'S    RETURN.  313 

"  I  will  tell  you,"  sighed  Elfie. 

And  then  she  resumed  the  thread  of  her  narrative,  des- 
cribing the  march  of  Goldsborough's  guerrillas  and  the 
battle  of  the  hill,  in  which  Colonel  Rosenthal  routed  the 
guerrillas,  and  in  which  the  Free  Sword  and  his  wife  were 
killed. 

"  Killed  !  Oh,  merciful  Heaven,  not  that !  Don't  say 
that  Alberta  was  killed  in  battle ! "  exclaimed  Erminie, 
clasping  her  hand  tightly,  while  her  eyes  dilated  with  horror 
and  ama  ement. 

"  Yes,  she  was  killed,"  wept  Elfie. 

"But  how  was  that?" 

"  Oh,  it  seems  that  she  would  not  leave  him.  You  know 
what  a  will  she  had.  She  would  not  leave  him.  She  rode 
by  his  side  through  all  that  bloody  day!  This  is  the  way 
I  heard  the  story :  His  horse  was  shot  xinder  him.  She 
jumped  from  her  saddle  and  insisted  on  his  mounting  hers, 
and  at  that  moment  she  saw  one  of  our  sharpshooters  aim  a 
rifle  at  him,  and  quick  as  lightning  she  threw  herself  before 
him  and  received  the  shot  in  her  heart !  Oh  !  Erminie,  it 
was  a' deadly  minie  ball !  It  passed  quite  through  her  body, 
killing  her  instantly,  and  entered  the  bosom  which  she  tried 
to  shield,  wounding  it  mortally." 

"  Oh  !  Heaven  of  Heavens  !  "  exclaimed  Erminie,  sobbing 
for  pity. 

"  So  the  same  ball  killed  them  both  ;  but  not  at  the  same 
instant.  He,  in  his  great  sorrow,  never  felt  his  own  wound ! 
He  bore  her  off  the  field,  and  sat  down  with  her  under  the 
trees  at  the  entrance  of  an  old  turnpike  road.  His  disap- 
pearance seemed  to  decide  the  fortunes  of  the  day.  The 
guerrillas  lost  hope  and  fled.  Some  fled  down  the  old  turn- 
pike road ;  and,  seeing  Corsoni  sitting  there  with  his  dead 
wife  in  his  arms,  they  urged  him  to  get  up  and  fly  for  his 
life  ;  but  he  paid  no  attention  to  them.  They  told  him  that 
our  cavalry  were  in  hot  pursuit,  and  would  certainly  capture 


314  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

him  if  he  should  remain  where  he  was.  But  he  scarcely 
seemed  to  hear  their  words.  They  reminded  him  that  when 
he  should  be  taken  an  ignominious 'death  awaited  him.  He 
did  not  seem  to  care  for  that  or  for  anything  on  earth  but 
the  face  of  his  dead  wife,  for  he  never  lifted  his  eyes  from 
it." 

"  His  heart  must  have  been  broken  !  "  wept  Elfie. 

"  It  was  !  Justin  says  it  would  have  moved  his  bitterest 
enemy  to  compassion  to  have  seen  him  when  he  was  cap- 
tured. Some  of  our  cavalr}'  men  rode  up  and  very  naturally 
swore  at  him,  and  called  him  hard  names,  and  ordered  him 
to  yield.  He  did  not  return  railing  for  railing,  but  without 
lifting  his  face  from  the  still  face  of  his  wife,  he  answered 
simply,  'I  yield.'  Justin  rode  up,  and,  seeing  this  sight, 
ordered  the  men  to  withdraw  ;  and  then  he  himself  advanced 
to  receive  Corsoni's  sword.  But  first  he  spoke  some  few 
words  of  sympathy  and  compassion  for  the  prisoner's  awful 
sorrow.  Corsoni  did  not  once  reply  ;  but  laid  the  bod}''  of  his 
beloved  wife  down  and  arose  to  deliver  up  his  sword.  In  the 
act  of  doing  so — " 

Elfie  broke  down  and  wept  convulsively  for  some  moments 
before  she  could  resume  her  story. 

— "  The  blood  began  to  spout  like  a  fountain  from  a  wound 
in  his  chest.  And  Justin  said,  '  You  are  hurt.'  And  he 
answered  <  Am  I  ?  I  didn't  know.'  And  with  these  words 
on  his  lips  he  fell  dead  beside  his  dead  wife." 

Erminie  was  weeping ;  and  it  was  some  time  before  she 
could  speak.  When  she  did,  it  was  to  say : 

"  Perhaps  theirs  was  the  best  fate  that  could  have  befallen 
them — I  mean  under  the  dreadful  circumstances." 

"  We  all  thought  so.  They  were  buried  side  by  side  in  an 
old  country  churchyard.  It  spoke  well  for  the  tenderness  of 
our  poor  soldiers  that,  tired  as  they  were,  they  were  willing 
to  march  three  miles  to  lay  the  poor  woman's  remains  in 
consecrated  ground  ;  and  they  laid  her  husband's  body  be- 
side her." 


ELFIE'S    VISIT    TO    LITTLE    MIM.       315 

u  May  they  rest  in  peace  !  "  said  Erminie,  solemnly. 

«  Amen,"  breathed  Elfie. 

The  two  girls  fell  into  a  thoughtful  silence  until  Erminie 
arose  to  ring  the  bell  for  Catherine  to  remove  the  tea  ser- 
vice. 

And  then,  as  it  was  twelve  o'clock,  the  friends  kissed  each 
other  good  night,  arid  Elfie  went  to  her  own  old  room  that 
Catherine  had  prepared  for  her. 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 
ELFIE'S  VISIT  TO  LITTLE  MIM. 

One  by  one  thy  griefs  shall  meet  thee, 

Do  not  fear  an  armed  band ; 
One  will  fade  as  others  greet  thee, 

Shadows  passing  through  the  laud. 
Do  not  look  at  life's  long  sorrow; 

See  how  small  each  moment's  pain; 
God  will  help  thee  for  to-morrow, 

So  each  day,  begin  again. — A.  A.  PEOOTOK. 

"  WELL,  here  it  is,  and  a  meagre  account  enough,"  said 
Elfie,  opening  the  morning  paper  as  she  sat  with  Erminie 
at  breakfast  in  the  library — "  not  ten  lines  of  description,  if 
it  were  put  in  common  type,  but  filling  nearly  a  whole 
column  in  great  capital  letters  like  posters." 

"  What  is  it,  dear  ?  "  inquired  Erminie,  who  was  arrang- 
ing her  cups  and  saucers  on  the  breakfast  tray. 

"  The  morning  paper's  account  of  the  engagement  I 
described  to  you  at  full  length  last  night." 

"  Eead  it  aloud,  dear,  while  I  pour  out  our  coffee." 

"  It  is  hardly  worth  reading.  It  isn't  a  hundredth  part 
of  what  I  told  you  myself.  But  if  you  want  to  hear  it, 
here  goes : 

" '  BATTLE  OF  BLEAK  HILL.  DEFEAT  OF  THE  GTTEB- 
KILLAS.  DEATH  OF  THE  NOTORIOUS  FKEE  SWORD." 


316-  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

Elfie  read  these  headings,  which  were  all  in  very  con- 
spicuous type.  And  then  she  went  on  with  the  description 
of  the  fight,  with  the  details  of  which  our  readers  are 
already  familiar. 

"  I  suppose  that  the  .news  came  by  the  same  train  that 
brought  me  last  night,  although  it  could  not  be  made  public 
until  this  morning,"  said  Elfie,  as  she  laid  aside  the  paper. 

When  they  had  finished  breakfast,  and  the  young  mis- 
tress of  the  house  had  issued  her  orders  for  the  day  to  cook, 
housemaid  and  man  servant,  the  two  young  ladies  went  up 
stairs  together. 

"  I  can't  attend  you  in  your  rounds  through  the  hospitals 
this  morning,  Erminie  dear,  for  I  must  go  first  to  see  little 
Mim,"  said  Elfie,  as  they  parted  on  the  landing,  each  to 
seek  her  own  room. 

"  But  you  will  go  with  me  this  afternoon  ? "  urged 
Erminie,  with  her  hand  on  the  knob  of  her  door. 

"  Oh,  yes — certainly,"  answered  Elfie,  as  .she  disappeared 
in  her  chamber. 

The  two  girls  came  down  together  dressed  to  go  out. 
But  they  parted  at  the  gate,  as  their  paths  lay  in  opposite 
directions. 

Erminie  entered  the  little  carriage  that  was  to  take  her 
first  to  the  Douglas  Hospital. 

Elfie  walked  rapidly  towards  Pennsylvania  Avenue, 
where  she  stopped  a  Navy  Yard  car,  which  took  her  to  the 
eastern  suburbs  of  the  city. 

She  got  out  of  the  car  at  the  corner  of  a  quiet  street, 
mostly  built  up  in  small,  detached  houses,  with  small  flower 
yards  before  them. 

Elfie  walked  briskly  on  until  she  reached  a  little  cottage 
in  a  large  garden  full  of  fruit  trees,  where  Mim  lived  with 
his  maiden  aunts,  four  little  bits  of  old  ladies,  with  thin 
faces  and  fair  hair  and  blue  eyes,  who  were  as  « like  as  peas 
in  a  pod "  to  each  other  and  to  Mim  himself,  who  loved 


ELFIE'S    VISIT    TO    LITTLE    MIM.      317 

them  sincerely,  and  who  supported  them  willingly  off  his 
small  salary  as  salesman  in  a  fancy  bazaar.  "  They  had  all 
lived  single  for  his  sake,  and  brought  him  up  from  a  baby," 
said  credulous  little  Mim,  "  and  now  he  would  live  single 
for  their  sakes,  and  take  care  of  them  in  their  age." 

Elfie,  in  her  eagerness,  pulled  open  the  garden  gate,  and 
ran  up  the  walk  and  rang  the  hell. 

One  of  the  little  old  ladies  opened  the  door. 

"  Oh,  Miss  Suzy,  how  is  Mr.  Mim  ?  And  can  I  see 
him?"  the  visitor  exclaimed. 

"  Oh,  Miss  Elfie,  I  am  so  glad  to  see  you  back  safe.  And 
Mim  is  much  better,  thank  you.  And  of  course  you  can  see 
him  immediately,  for  I  do  think  the  sight  of  you  will  quite 
set  him  up.  But  maybe  I'd  better  go  and  break  it  to  him 
first.  His  poor  head  is  rather  weak  yet,  and  a  sudden  shock 
might  bring  on  the  fever  again." 

"  Yes,  I  think  you  had  better  do  so,  Miss  Suzy,  and  I  will 
wait  here  until  you  come  back." 

"  Do.  And  I  will  send  sisters  to  see  you.  They  will  be 
so  glad  you've  come,"  said  the  little  old  lady,  as  she  left  the 
room. 

Elfie  sat  down  in  the  pleasant,  rural-like  parlor,  with  its 
plain,  old-fashioned  furniture  and  chintz  curtains  and  chair 
covers,  and  waited  until  she  was  joined  by  the  three  other 
little  old  ladies,  Miss  Sophy,  Miss  Sary  and  Miss  Molly, 
who  all  came  running  to  her,  and  who  all  kissed  her  and 
made  a  great  crowing  over  her  until  the  return  of  their  elder 
sister. 

Miss  Suzy  led  Elfie  up  stairs  to  a  clean,  whitewashed  and 
white-curtained  chamber,  where,  in  a  white-covered  easy 
chair,  little  Mim,  in  his  dressing  gown  and  slippers,  and 
with  his  head  bound  up,  reclined. 

He  made  an  effort  to  rise  and  receive  his  visitor,  but  fell 
back  immediately  upon  his  cushions. 

"  Oh,  Mim,  dear,  don't  try  to  get  up,  please.     I  will  come 


818  HOW      HE     WON     HEK. 

and  sit  quite  close  to  you,  if  Miss  Suzy  will  let  me,"  said 
Elfie,  gently  going  to  his  side,  and  taking  his  thin  hand, 
and  looking  piteously  in  his  pale  face. 

"  Miss  Fielding,  this  is  so  kind  of  you  to  come  to  see 
me.  It  does  me  so  much  good.  You  can't  think  how- 
anxious  I  have  heen  to  hear  of  your  safety.  I  think 
anxiety  kept  me  back  from  recovery  more  than  anything 
else.  I  am  so  grateful  to  you  for  taking  the  trouble  of 
coming  to  see  me  to-day,"  said  the  little  hero. 

"  Oh,  Mim,  dear,  what  is  there  I  wouldn't  do  to  show  my 
sense  of  your  worth  and  my  obligation  to  you ! "  said  Elfie, 
with  feeling,  as  she  seated  herself  in  the  chair  that  Miss 
Suzy  had  been  holding  behind  her,  and  mutely  pressing  her 
to  take. 

"You  overwhelm  me,  Miss  Fielding — you  do,  indeed," 
said  little  Mim,  with  emotion.  "  I  have  the  greatest  respect 
for  you,  and  for  all  the  ladies,  and  I  thought  it  was  no  more 
than  just  natural  to  lay  down  my  life  for  you,  if  necessary 
— what  any  man  would  do  for  any  lady." 

"But,  dear  Mim,  we  had  proof  enough  that  day  that 
there  wasn't  a  man  on  the  ground  who  was  willing  to  risk 
getting  his  head  broken  to  save  me  from  being  carried  off  by 
the  guerrillas,  except  yourself.  Oh,  dear  Mim,  what  shall  I 
ever  do  to  prove  how  much  I  thank  and  honor  you  ?  " 

Little  Mini  blushed  up  to  the  edges  of  his  hair,  and  could 
not  find  words  to  reply. 

"  Ok,  dear,  deary  me,"  sighed  Miss  Suzy  to  herself,  "  I 
hope  she  won't  marry  him  out'n  gratitude.  I  truly  hope 
and  trust  she  won't  marry  him  out'n  gratitude.  Her  prop- 
erty is  all  constipated  by  the  rebels,  and  he  hasn't  the 
means,  with  his  little  salary,  of  supporting  us  and  a  wife, 
and  a  whole  lot  of  little  ones  besides.  Lord  have  messy 
upon  us  I " 

While  Miss  Suzy  thus  bemoaned  herself,  little  Mim  found 
his  tongue,  and  answered,  like  a  miniature  Bayard  or 
Roland : 


ELFIE'S    VISIT    TO    LITTLE    MIM.      319 

"Miss  Fielding,  I  now  thank  Heaven  for  my  broken 
head,  and  for  every  pain  that  I  have  suffered  in  your  cause. 
Miss  Fielding,  I  would  have  had  not  only  my  head,  but 
every  bone  in  my  body  broken,  to  have  proved  my  regard 
for  you,  or  for  any  of  the  ladies,  and  to  have  awakened  such 
esteem  in  your  mind  would  haA^e  been  consolation  and 
reward  enough,"  he  added  with  enthusiasm. 

"  Oh,  Lord,  its  coming,"  moaned  Miss  Suzy  to  herself, 
"it's  coming!  I  know  it's  coming.  They'll  be  engaged 
before  she  leaves  the  room,  and  married  before  the  month 
is  out." 

Elfie  laid  her  hand  lightly  on  the  bandaged  head. 
• "  Did  you  suffer  much  pain,  Mr.  Mini  ?  " 

"  No,  Miss  Fielding — nothing  to  speak  of,"  he  answered, 
slightingly.  And  then,  as  if  to  change  conversation  from 
himself,  he  laughed  and  said,  "  Not  near  so  much  as  some 
others." 

"  Why,  Mim,  dear,  what  do  you  mean  ?  Were  any  of 
the  others  injured  ?  Not  that  I  care  if  every  coward  among 
them  had  had  his  neck  broken,  so  that  you  were  safe.  But 
I  thought  that  you  were  the  only  one  wounded." 

"  So  I  was,  Miss  Fielding.  But  I  had  rather  had  my 
wound  than  been  compelled  to  change  cloties  with  any  of 
those  guerrillas,  and  caught — what  some  of  my  companions 
caught !  On  my  own  account  I  bear  no  malice  to  that  big 
man,  for,  if  he  did  break  my  head,  he  left  me  my  clean 
clothes." 

Elfie  laughed  at  the  recollection  of  the  exchange. 

"  Such  a  set  of  disreputable  ragamuffins  as  they  looked, 
Miss  Fielding  !  I  heard  afterwards  that  some  of  them  were 
denied  and  driven  away  from  their  own  doors,  and  had 
some  trouble  before  they  could  make  themselves  recognized 
by  their  own  landladies." 

"  Served  them  right,  the  cowards  !  It  would  have  served 
them  right  if  they  had  been  made  to  wear  those  tatters  for 
the  rest  of  their  lives  !  " 


320  HOW      HE     WON     HER 

"  I  think  you  are  hard  on  them,  Miss  Fielding.  What 
could  seventeen  men  do  against  two  hundred  guerrillas  ?  " 

"  They  could  have  died,"  said  Elfie,  ruthlessly. 

"  Yes,  but,  Miss  Fielding,  the  guerrillas  didn't  want  to 
kill  them4  they  only  wanted  to  take  their  victuals  and 
clothes  and  dance  with  their  partners." 

"  They  could  have  resisted,  and  got  their  heads  broken, 
as  you  did,  my  brave  Mim  !  They  could  have  proved  their 
manhood  in  that  way,  if  they  had  had  any  manhood  to 
prove.  But  I  suppose  they  really  had  not.  You  were  the 
only  man  among  them,  Mim,  dear,"  said  Elfie. 

Again  little  Mim  was  overwhelmed  and  dumbfounded. 

"Oh  lor!"  sighed  Miss  Suzy  to  herself— "  Oh  dear! 
Now  they're  getting  on  dangerous  ground  again.  I  know, 
if  I  wasn't  in  the  room,  she'd  offer  to  marry  him  out'n 
gratitude,  and  he'd  accept,  and  then  there  !  But  I'll  take 
care  not  to  leave  the  room  while  she  is  in  it.  If  he  makes 
an  excuse  to  get  rid  of  me  by  asking  me. to  go  and  fetch 
anything,  I'll  just  knock  on  the  floor  for  some  one  to  come 
up  and  bring  it.  For  stir  from  this  room  I  will  not !"  she 
grimly  resolved. 

Apparently  little  Mim  also  thought  that  the  conversation 
was  getting  upon  dangerous  ground,  for  again  he  diverted 
it  from  himself. 

"  I  don't  know,  after  all,  but  what  it  would  have  been 
better  if  they  had  resisted  the  exchange  of  clothing  and 
got  broken  heads  rather  than  what  they  did  get.  Though 
indeed  they  might  have  got  both,  for  that  matter." 

"  What  was  it,  Mr.  Mim  ?  "  inquired  Elfie,  very  indis- 
creetly. People  ought  to  be  very  cautious  how  they  ask 
questions. 

"  Well,  Miss  Fielding,  a  sort  of  irritating— a— a— sort  of 
irritating— a— a— a— sort  of  irritating — RASH!"  at  last 
triumphantly  exclaimed  little  Mim,  elated  at  having  found 
an  inofff-nsive  word  to  describe  the  calamity  that  had  over- 
taken his  companions. 


ELFIE'S    VISIT    TO    LITTLE    HIM.      821 

"  Glad  to  hear  it,"  said  remorseless  Elfie — "  hope  what- 
ever it  is,  it  will  '  irritate '  them  for  the  rest  of  their  mortal 
career." 

"But  of  all  the  victims,"  laughed  little  Mim,  "the 
greatest  sufferer  was  that  dandy  fellow — what  was  his 
name  ?  Nincomfool  ? — Sickapoop  ? — Billydoo  ?  Whatever 
was  the  fellow's  name  ?  The  one  with  the  tea-rose  in  his 
button-hole,  who  played  the  guitar  and  cried  and  begged  so 
when  the  big  guerrilla  made  him  give  up  his  fine  raiment 
and  clothe  himself  in  rags — Sickafool  ? — Billypoop  ?  " 

"  Billingcoo  ?  "  suggested  Elfie. 

"Yes — thanks.  I  knew  his  name  was  something  that 
put  one  in  mind  of  turtle  doves  and  love-letters !  Oh ! 
Miss  Fielding —  ! "  And  little  Mim  laughed. 

"  What  is  it,  then  ?     What  about  Billingcoo  ?  " 

"  I  don't  think  he  got  the  rash ;  but  I  do  think  he 
suffered  under  the  impression  that  he  had  absorbed  through 
the  pores  of  his  skin  the  greater  half  of  the  weight  of  rags 
he  wore.  He  spends  his  whole  income  in  vapor  baths  and 
cologne  water ! " 

"  Poor  dandy  !  I  hope  and  trust  he  may  be  drafted  after 
the  next  enrollment !  Three  years  of  military  duty  would 
take  the  nonsense  out  of  him,"  said  Elfie,  as,  much  to  the 
relief  of  Miss  Suzy,  she  arose  to  take  leave. 

"  You  will  stay  a  little  longer  with  me  ? "  politely 
pleaded  little  Mim. 

"  I  would  gladly  do  so  ;  but  I  promised  Miss  Rosenthal 
to  be  home  to  an  early  dinner,  so  as  to  be  able  to  go  with 
her  to  the  hospitals  this  afternoon,"  said  Elfie. 

"  Every  one  is  praising  Miss  Eosenthal.  She  is  called 
the  Angel  of  the  Hospitals,"  said  Mim. 

"  She  is  rightly  so  called." 

"  She  has  been  very  kind  to  me  also — finding  time  in  the 
midst  of  all  her  engagements  to  come  to  see  me" 

v  I  owe  her  another  debt  of  gratitude  in  that,  Mr.  Mim. 
20 


322  HOW      HE     AVON      HER. 

Now  good-bye  for  the  present,"  said  Elfie,  holding  out  her 
hand. 

"  You  will  come  again  ?  "  he  inquired,  looking  up  pitiably 
through  his  hollow  eyes. 

"  Indeed  I  will  come  often.  I  will  come  every  day ;  and 
to-morrow  I  will  find  you  some  fruit  and  flowers,  late  as  it 
is  in  the  season ;  and  I  will  bring  you  the  last  good  new- 
novel  that  I  can  find." 

"  Oh  no !  don't  trouble  yourself  in  that  way,  Miss  Yield- 
ing. Bring  yourself!  that  will  be  all  sufficient  for  me," 
said  little  Mim,  gallantly. 

"I  will  bring  m3«self  and  whatever  else  I  please,  Mr. 
Mim.  So  there  now !  Now  good-bye  for  to-day.  And 
remember  that,  present  or  absent,  I  shall  never  forget  your 
brave  defence  of  me,  Mr.  Mim." 

"  Good  bye,  and  God  bless  you  for  this  delightful  visit, 
Miss  Fielding." 

And  so  Elfie  left  the  room,  escorted  by  Miss  Suzy,  who 
though  she  really  liked  her  young  visitor  very  well,  was 
now  heartily  glad  to  see  her  out. 

In  the  room  below  the  other  sisters  had  a  nice  little 
luncheon  spread  out  upon  a  table  covered  with  a  clean  cloth. 
Tea  and  toast;  chipped  beef  and  light  biscuits;  and  stewed 
apples  and  new  milk. 

They  pressed  Elfie  so  hospitably  that  she  was  obliged  to 
sit  down  and  partake  of  the  refreshments. 

After  which  she  thanked  them  and  took  leave. 

When  Elfie  was  fairly  out  of  the  front  garden-gate, 
Miss  Suzy  closed  the  house-door,  and  then  turned  to  her 
sisters  and  raised  her  finger  in  mysterious  warning. 

"  What  ever  is  the  matter  now  ?  "  inquired  Miss  Molly, 
and  echoed  Miss  Sophy  and  Miss  Sarah,  gazing  at  their 
elder  sister  in  perplexity  and  uneasiness. 

"We  don't  wan't  Jim  to  marry,  do  we  ?  "  she  inquired. 

"Oh  lor'!"  exclaimed  the  other  sisters,  in  horrified 
chorus. 


MEETING      IN     THE     HOSPITAL.  323 

"Well,  then,  we  must  keep  a  good  look-out!  She's  a 
nice  girl  and  I  like  her !  but  if  we  don't  take  care,  she'll 
marry  Jim,  whether  or  no  !  " 

"  Marry  Jim !  "  echoed  all  the  other  sisters. 

"And  if  Miss  Suzy  had  said,  "  She  will  murder  Jim," 
and  they  had  believed  her,  her  words  could  not  have  caused 
more  consternation. 

"  Yes,  she  will !  "  repeated  the  elder  sister. 

"  Marry  Jim  !  Our  Jim !  Oh  no  !  she's  a  pretty  girl,  and 
a  clever  girl,  and  a  good  girl !  and  we  like  her !  but  we 
can't  afford  to  let  her  have  our  Jim  !  Our  Jim  must  not 
marry ! " 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

AN    UNEXPECTED    MEETING   IN   THE    HOSPITAL. 

Forgot  were  hatred,  wrongs  and  fears; 
The  plaintive  voice  alone  she  hears, 
Sees  but  the  dying  man. — SCOTT. 

WHEN  Elfie  got  back  to  the  parsonage  she  found  Erminie 
waiting  for  her  in  the  library,  where  the  dinner  table  for 
two  had  been  set. 

At  Elfie's  age  girls  can  eat  a  hearty  luncheon  and  imme- 
diately afterwards  eat  a  hearty  dinner,  and  suffer  no  incon- 
venience from  indigestion  either. 

So  Elfie  sat  do\yn  to  the  table  and  opened  her  napkin. 

"  How  is  Mr.  Mini  ?  "  kindly  inquired  Erminie. 

"  Poor  fellow  !  I  do  believe  but  for  his  strict  temperance 
habits,  that  blow  would  have  killed  him.  As  it  is,  he  is 
getting  well  fast,  just  as  you  told  me.  His  head  is  weak 
yet,  though.  And  I  took  care  not  to  excite  him.  I  didn't 
breathe  a  word  to  him  of  my  adventures  among  the 


324  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

guerrillas.     I  allowed  him  to  take  it  for  granted  that  I  had 
been  sent  home  under  a  flag  of  truce." 

«  And  he  knows  nothing  of  your  forced  marriage  ?  " 

"Not  a  word." 

"  Nor  of  the  battle  with  the  guerrillas  ?  " 

"No." 

"But  I  should  think  he  would  see  that  in  the  news- 
papers." 

"They  don't  allow  him  to  look  at  one  in  the  present 
state  of  his  health.  But,  Erminie,  tell  me  about  your  pro- 
te'ge's  in  the  hospitals." 

"  Nearly  all  my  boys  are  doing  very  well,  Elfie.  Two  of 
them  only,  will  die.  One  has  his  mother  with  him,  and  if 
mother  and  son  were  not  both  such  earnest  Christians  it 
would  half  break  my  heart  to  see  them,  for  she  is  an  old 
woman  and  he  is'  her  youngest  son  and  only  surviving  child. 
The  other  boy  is  far  from  every  friend  he  has  in  the  world, 
and  so  he  is  my  own  peculiar  charge.  He  too  is  a  child  of 
God,  and  will  meet  death  as  serenely  as  if  he  were  eighty 
years  old  instead  of  eighteen.  Just  as  I  left  the  hospital 
they  told  me  that  a  train  of  ambulances  had  arrived,  bring- 
ing in  a  large  number  of  wounded  from  some  recent  battle- 
field. So  we  shall  have  a  plenty  of  work  on  our  hands, 
Elfie.  I  have  four  hampers  of  lint  sent  me  from  the  North. 
And  directly  after  dinner  we  shall  have  to  take  a  carriage 
and  carry  it  to  the  hospitals.  It  must  be  wanted  now." 

"  Oh,  Heaven  help  us,  Erminie  !  We  not  only  '  sup  full 
of  horrors,'  but  it  seems  to  me  we  rise,  breakfast,  dine,  sup 
and  sleep  full  of  horrors,  in  these  war  times.  I  don't  know 
how  you  can  stand  it,  Erminie.  Has  it  hardened  or 
strengthened  you  ?  " 

"  Strengthened  me,  I  hope,  dearest,"  answered  Miss 
Rosenthal,  as  she  arose  from  the  table. 

Bob  was  despatched  to  the  livery  stable  where  Erminie 
kept  her  little  carriage  and  horse.  And  Catherine  was 


MEETING      IN      THE      HOSPITAL.  825 

sent  up  into  the  attic  to  the  linen  room  to  fetch  down  the 
hampers  of  lint. 

And  so,  when  Erminie  and  Elfie  came  down  ready  dressei 
to  go  out,  they  found  the  carriage  at  the  door  and  the  ham- 
pers stowed  within  it,  and  old  Bob  on  the  coachman's  box. 

"Drive  to  the  hospital,  Robert,"  said  Miss  Rosenthal. 
And  the  horse  started. 

A  drive  of  some  twenty  minutes  brought  them  to  the 
front  of  the  extensive  buildings. 

"  I  declare,  it  looks  like  a  funeral  here,"  said  Elfie,  notic- 
ing the  crowd  of  ambulances  that  were  drawn  up  before  the 
hospital. 

But  when  the  two  girls  alighted  and  Elfie  had  a  nearer 
view  and  saw  wounded  men  piled  like  slaughtered  cattle  in 
those  ambulances,  and  bleeding  men  carried  up  the  steps  of 
the  hospital ;  and  when  they  entered  the  building  and  she 
found  the  atmosphere  pervaded  with  the  scent  of  fresh 
blood,  and  the  staircase  slippery  with  gore,  she  could  re- 
strain herself  no  longer,  but  screamed  and  hid  her  face 
against  Erminie's  black  robe. 

'^Elfie  !  Elfie  !  if  you  cannot  command  your  feelings,  my 
dear,  you  must  return  to  the  carriage.  You  can  do  no  good 
here  unless  you  are  calm  and  strong,"  whispered  Erminie. 

"  Oh,  but  I  never  saw  anything  so  horrible !  It  is  like 
human  shambles,  and  it  turns  me  sick.  I  have  been  here 
many,  many  times,  but  never  saw  anything  like  this ! " 
shuddered  Elfie. 

"Because  you  have  never  before  happened  to  be  here 
when  they  were  bringing  in  the  recently  wounded.  You 
had  better  go  back  to  the  carriage,  Elfie." 

"  No,  no :  pray  let  me  go  on  with  you.  I  will  not  give 
way  again,  indeed  I  will  not,"  said  Elfie,  lifting  her  face. 

And  she  kept  her  promise,  although  there  passed  her  at 
that  moment  two  soldiers,  bearing  between  them  a  ghastly 
burden — a  man  with  a  livid  face,  and  a  bandaged  head  crim- 
soned with  blood. 


326  HOW      HE     ->VON      HER. 

Old  Bob,  with  a  hamper  of  lint  under  each  arm,  followed 
the  two  young  ladies. 

Erminie  led  the  way  up  the  first  flight  of  stairs  to  the 
first  floor,  and  turned  at  once  to  the  clothing  room  attached 
to  that  ward,  and  under  the  charge  of  a  Sister  of  Mercy. 

It  was  a  room  furnished  all  around  with  shelves  and 
drawers  like  a  dry  goods  store,  and  filled  with  ready  made 
under  clothing,  dressing  gowns,  hed  linen  and  nappery. 

A  mild-eyed,  hlack-robed  young  sister  arose  to  receive  the 
visitor. 

"I  have  brought  you  a  fresh  supply  of  lint,  Sister 
Agnes,"  said  Erminie. 

"  Ah,  yes ;  we  are  very  glad  to  have  it ;  it  is  very  much 
wanted.  "VVe  had  not  near  enough  fcr  the  fresh  cases  we 
have  received  to-day." 

"From  what  battle-field  do  these  come,  Sister,  do  you 
know?" 

"I  don't.  Some  of  them  came  up  by  the  steamboats. 
So  I  suppose  there  has  been  another  battle  somewhere  down 
the  river.  And  some  of  them,  I  know,  came  by  railroad 
from  the  valley,  where  there  has  been  a  fight  with  the 
guerrillas." 

"  Oh  ! "  said  Erminie. 

And  then  as  time  was  too  precious  to  be  spent  in  talking, 
she  took  up  the  large  basket  of  oranges  she  had  brought, 
and  bowing  adieu  to  this  "  mistress  of  the  robes,"  she  passed 
down  the  corridor,  attended  by  Erminie,  and  followed  by 
Bob,  who  had  been  back  to  the  carriage,  and  had  returned 
with  a  large  basket  of  jellies  and  fruits. 

"  I  visited  one-half  the  wards  this  morning,  and  I  must 
look  into  the  others  this  afternoon,"  said  Erminie,  as  she 
turned  to  the  right  and  opened  a  door  leading  into  a  long 
room,  furnished  with  a  double  row  of  little  white  beds,  on 
most  of  which  lay  wounded  men. 

Smiles  of  glad  welcome  greeted  this  young  angel  visitant 
as  soon  as  she  appeared. 


MEETING      IN      THE      HOSPITAL.          327 

"Here,  Elfie.  You  take  this  basket  of  oranges,  dear, 
and  go  down  one  row  of  beds  wbile  I  go  down  tbe  other. 
And  give  each  man  one.  Sister  Frances  says  that  the  men 
in  this  ward  may  all  eat  fruit,"  said  Erminie. 

Elfie  took  the  basket  of  oranges,  and  went  down  the  row 
of  beds  as  she  was  bid,  pausing  at  each  to  speak  a  kind  and 
cheering  word,  and  to  give  an  orange. 

At  length  she  reached  the  very  last  little  bed  in  the 
corner,  and  without  looking  at  its  occupant,  she  said : 

"  Well,  you  are  the  last,  but  you  will  not  be  the  worst 
served,  soldier.  Here  is  the  very  finest  orange  in  the 
whole  lot.  Just  as  if  I  had  saved  it  on  purpose  for  you. 
I  hope  it  will  refresh  you.  And — I  hope  you  are  not  badly 
wounded." 

"  Elfie  ! "  in  a  feeble  voice  exclaimed  the  wounded  man. 

"  Great  Heaven  !  "  cried  the  girl,  starting,  and  nearly 
dropping  her  basket  of  oranges. 

She  stood  beside  the  bed  of  Albert  Goldsborough. 

"  Elfie,  didn't  you  know  me  ?  "  he  sadly  and  faintly  in- 
quired. 

"No.  I  was  picking  out  tne  biggest  orange  for  the  man 
who  had  to  wait  the  longest,  and  so  I  didn't  look  at  you, 
and  didn't  know  you.  You  might  have  been  sure  of  that. 
And  now  that  I  do  know  you,  1  take  back  all  I  said  and  all 
I  gave.  Hand  me  that  orange.  I  have  nothing  for  you." 

"Not  even  forgiveness,  Elfie?"  he  sighed,  as  he  restored 
the  fruit. 

"Nothing,"  she  answered  grimly,  turning  from  him  and 
walking  back. 

The  hospital  beds  were  very  narrow  and  very  near 
together.  The  wounded  soldier  that  occupied  the  one  next 
to  Albert  Goldsborough,  heard  and  saw  all  that  had  parsed 
between  him  and  Elfie. 

Now  turning  painfully  on  his  side,  he  stretched  out  his 
hand  towards  Goldsborough  and  said : 


328  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

"Here,  Eeb.,  take  half  my  orange.  Do  now— you're 
welcome  to  it.  A  Eeb.  boy  gave  me  half  his  bread  and 
water  while  we  lay  together  on  the  battle  field  before  I  was 
brought  here;  and  I  haven't  forgot  that  yet!  Take  half 
tny  orange,  Eeb.,  or  if  you're  thirsty  take  the  whole." 

Albert  Goldsborough  smiled  and  shook  his  head,  saying  : 

"  I  thank  you,  but  cannot  take  it.  The  lady  who  gave  it 
would  not  like  the  transfer." 

Elfie  heard  all  this  and  felt  ashamed.  She  stopped  short 
and  burst  into  tears.  She  was  almost  hysterical  with  con- 
tradictory emotions.  But  she  knew  it  would  never  do  to 
make  a  scene  in  the  ward  of  a  hospital. 

"  The  noble  soldiers !  they  cherish  no  feelings  of  bitter 
malignity  against  our  brave  foes.  It  is  only  we,  miserable, 
mean,  little  non-combatants,  who  never  risked  our  lives  in 
the  cause,  who  are  as  venemous  an  reptiles  !  I  will  follow 
the  example  of  our  dear  Union  boy  there,"  thought  Elfie, 
as  she  hurried  to  the  side  of  the  young  soldier  of  whom  she 
Lad  spoken,  and  said,  with  emotion  : 

'•  You  are  better  than  I  am  !  You  are  a  brave,  good, 
generous  fellow,  and  I  hope  I  shall  know  more  of  you.'' 

The  young  soldier  smiled  and  said,  a  little  obscurely  : 

"  You  see,  Miss,  we  must  save  the  Union  at  any  cost ;  but 
we  don't  all  hate  each  other  for  all  that." 

"3STo,"  replied.  Elfie,  humbly.  And  she  passed  on  to 
Goldsborough's  bed  and  said  : 

"  Albert,  I  didn't  mean  it— indeed  I  didn't !  Take  the 
orange  again,  dear — do !  It  isn't  you  that  I  am  angry  with. 
It  is  treason.  And  my  feelings  are  so  contradictory — pull 
so  violently  opposite  ways— that  I  feel  as  if  my  very-  soul 
was  being  drawn  asunder  by  wild  horses !  Oh,  if  you  had 
been  true  to  your  country!  Oh,  if  you  had  only  been 
true!"  she  exclaimed,  dropping  on  her  knees  and  hiding 
her  face  on  the  edge  of  his  bed  while  she  sobbed  convul- 
sively 


MEETING     IN      THE     HOSPITAL.         329 

She  felt  his  hand  laid  softly  on  her  head,  and  presently 
afterwards  she  heard  him  groan — a  low,  deep,  irrepressible 
groan,  that  seemed  to  have  heen  wrung  from  him  hy  extreme 
agony. 

Elfie  lifted  her  tearful  face  and  took  his  hand  in  hers. 
That  hand  was  burning  with  fever. 

"  Are  you  wounded,  Albert  ?  Are  you  wounded  badly  ? 
Tell  me,  dear." 

«  Yes,  Elfie,  badly." 

"  I  knew  that  you  were  taken  prisoner ;  but  I  had  no 
idea  that  you  were  hurt  until  I  saw  you  here.  How  did  it 
happen  ?  Tell  me  all  about  it,  dear,  unless  it  troubles  you 
to  talk.  If  it  does,  don't  speak." 

"  It  relieves  me  to  talk  to  you,  Elfie.  When  I  turned 
from  the  lost  battle  field,  it  was  to  hurry  to  the  spot  where 
I  left  you  to  provide  for  your  safety.  But  I  was  pursued ; 
and  when  I  was  about  half  way  across  the  plain,  between 
the  hill  and  the  grove,  a  minie  ball  from  a  sharpshooter 
struck  my  leg  above  the  knee  and  shattered  the  bone — " 

«  Oh  !  my  dear—" 

— "  Almost  at  the  same  time  I  saw  a  troop  of  horse  gal- 
loping from  the  opposite  direction.  In  a  moment,  Elfie,  I 
was  surrounded  and  captured.  And  they  took  me  at  once 
to  Colonel  Rosenthal.  But,  Elfie,  as  I  sat  there  in  my  sad- 
dle before  him,  my  limb  hung,  a  shattered,  useless,  helpless 
mass  beside  my  horse's  flank.  I  did  not  speak  as  I  handed 
him  my  sword.  I  was  very  glad  not  to  be  spoken  to  ;  for  if 
I  had  been  obliged  to  open  my  compressed  lips  to  answer  I 
should  have  groaned  in  agony.  And  I  didn't  want  my 
enemy  to  hear  me  do  that." 

"  Oh,  Albert,  I  am  sorry !  I  am  so  sorry !  Is  it  very 
painful  now,  dear  ?  Have  they  dressed  it  well  ?  " 

"  They  have  dressed  it  very  well,  Elfie ;  and  they  are 
trying  to  save  it ;  but  it  is  so  very  painful  now  that  I  doubt 
if  they  can  do  so." 


330  HOW      HE      WON     HER. 

"Oh,  Albert,  there  is  no  danger  of  your  losing  youi 
limb!" 

"  We  shall  know  by  to-morrow  morning  whether  we  can 
save  it  or  not.  But,  Elfie,  I  am  not  so  anxious  to  save  my 
limb  as  I  am  to  obtain  your  forgiveness  for  the  great  wrong 
that  I  did  you,"  he  said. 

"Oh!  Albert,  dear,  don't  talk  of  that.  It  is  past;  and 
don't  you  see,  dear,  that  I  am  friends  with  you  ?  " 

"  Thanks,  Elfie — thanks  !  You  should  understand,  Elfie, 
that  farce  of  a  marriage,  with  the  license,  and  ring,  and 
parson,  and  prayer  book,  all  regular,  was  yet  of  no  sort  of 
value  in  law,  unless  it  should  be  ratified  by  your  consent/' 
he  said. 

"I  know — I  know,  Albert.  But  do  not  let  us  talk  of 
such  exciting  things.  Your  fever  is  rising,  and — here 
comes  Erminie." 

Miss  Eosenthal  had  not  passed  down  her  side  of  the  ward 
as  quickly  as  Elfie  had  passed  down  hers.  Erminie's  walk 
was  more  like  that  of  a  physician  in  charge.  She  was 
familiar  there.  She  had  to  stop  by  the  side  of  every  bed> 
and  hold  a  conversation  with  the  patient  or  a  consultation 
with  the  nurse.  And  so  her  progress  was  slow. 

"Now,  however,  having  got  to  the  end  of  her  row  of  beds, 
she  approached  her  friend,  and  saw  the  new  patient. 

"  Albert  Goldsborough !  is  it  possible ! "  she  exclaimed,  in 
surprise — surprise  immediately  suppressed  by  her  habitual 
caution  as  a  hospital  visitor. 

"  Yes,  Miss  Kosenthal,  I  am  here,"  he  answered. 

"  I  am  very,  very  sorry  to  see  you  lying  thus,"  said  Er- 
minie, taking  his  hand,  and  laying  her  finger  upon  his  pulse. 
"You  are  feverish,  and  must  not  give  me  a  word  of  explan- 
ation yet.  Elfie,  my  dear,  your  presence  is  no  sedative  just 
now,"  she  added,  turning  to  the  weeping  girl ;  "  so  you  may 
go  down.  Inquire  your  way  to  the  office  of  the  surgeon  in 
charge,  and  ask  him,  in  my  name,  to  send  one  of  his  assist- 


MEETING     IN     THE      HOSPITAL.  331 

ants  here  ;  for  here  is  a  patient  who  needs  immediate  atten- 
tion." 

Elfie  arose ;  but,  before  leaving  the  spot,  stooped  over  the 
wounded  man  and  kissed  his  forehead,  murmuring : 

"  Good-bye,  Albert.  If  you  ever  doubted  my  reconcilia- 
tion to  you,  believe  it  now." 

"  Thanks,  dear  Elfie  !  You  will  come  again  ?  "  he  said, 
holding  her  hand  and  detaining  her. 

"  Yes,  I  will  come  as  often  and  stay  as  long  as  they  will 
let  me,"  she  sobbed. 

"  Now  go,  Elfie  dear.  Go  at  once.  He  }s  suffering  ex- 
tremely for  want  of  attention;  and  his  wound  must  be 
looked  to  immediately,"  urged  Erminie. 

Elfie  sat  her  basket  of  oranges  within  Goldsborough's 
reach  and  pointed  imploringly  to  it,  and  she  had  the  comfort 
of  seeing  him  smile,  and  take  one  and  put  it  to  his  lips, 
before  she  left  the  ward. 

In  a  very  few  minutes  one  of  the  young  assistant  surgeons 
came  up  in  answer  to  Miss  Rosenthal's  summons,  and  stood 
beside  the  bed  of  the  intensely  suffering  man. 

"  Yes,  Miss  Kosenthal,  his  wound  must  be  looked  to  im- 
mediately," said  the  young  man. 

And  Erminie  got  up  to  go. 

"  Good-bye,  Colonel  Goldsborough.  I  will  see  you  again 
to-morrow,  when  I  hope  you  will  be  better,"  she  said, 
gently. 

"Good-bye,  Miss  Rosenthal;  and  a  thousand  earnest 
thanks." 

When  Erminie  had  entered  the  carriage,  and  had  given 
her  order  to  the  coachman  to  drive  to  the  Emory  Hospital, 
and  when  they  were  once  more  on  their  way,  she  turned  to 
her  silent  companion  and  said : 

"  Elfie,  my  dear,  you  must  be  very  careful  what  you  do, 
unless  you  would  fetter  your  whole  life  with  that  forced 
marriage.  As  it  stands  now,  without  your  consent  it 


832  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

is  not  binding  on  you.  With  your  consent  it  becomes  indi* 
soluble." 

"  I  have  not  consented,"  said  Elfie. 

"  My  dear,  not  in  words,  perhaps ;  but  actions  speak 
louder  than  words.  There  is  such  a  thing  as  constructive 
consent.  Your  manner  may  be  so  construed,  Elfie,  as  to 
forge  you  fetters  that  you  cannot  break  in  all  your  life.  I 
speak  in  warning,  to  save  your  future  from  misery,  my 
dear." 

"  Oh,  Erminie  !  would  you  have  had  me  act  otherwise 
than  I  did  to  the  wounded,  perhaps  dying  man  ?  Oh, 
Erminie  !  I  tried — I  did  indeed — I  tried  to  be  firm  and 
hard  and  cruel,  but  I  could  not !  I  could  not !  And  when  I 
saw  his  face  blanched,  and  his  eyes  drawn  in,  and  his  lips 
wrung  with  the  agony  he  was  trying  to  bear  in  silence,  I — • 
I  could — couldn't  be  unkind  to  him  !  "  wept  Elfie,  burying 
her  face  in  Enninie's  mantle. 

"Nor  would  I  have  you  be  unkind,  Elfie,  my  dear,"  said 
Miss  E/osenthal,  caressing  her.  "  Be  as  kind  as  you  please. 
Do  everything  for  him  that  Christian  love  inspires.  Only 
take  care  that  you  give  him  no  hold  upon  your  future  life." 

"  Oh,  Erminie  !  Erminie  !  I  never  had  much  self-control ! 
And  since  my  soul  has  been  so  torn  between  my  old  love 
and  my  hatred  of  treason,  I  have  less!  Oh,  Erminie,  I 
cannot  say  to  myself  that  I  will  go  'thus  far  and  no 
farther ! ' " 

"  Then  I  do  not  understand  you,  love.  I  only  wished  to 
caution  you,  that  you  should  not,  through  inadvertence, 
forge  chains  for  yourself  that  it  would  gall  you  to  wear." 

"  Oh,  Erminie  !  no  !  you  don't  understand  me  !  How 
should  you,  when  I  don't  understand  myself? — When  I  saw 
him  at  the  head  of  his  band  ;  strong,  rampant,  insolent ;  in 
arms  against  the  government ;  doing  his  arrogant  will  with 
everybody,  and  with  myself  among  the  rest.  I  hated  him, 
or  I  thought  I  did !  And  I  prayed  that  he  might  come  to 


MEETING      IN     THE      HOSPITAL.  333 

this,  and  come  to  worse!  And  now,  when  I  see  him 
stretched,  broken,  helpless,  and  writhing  in  agony  in  that 
bed,  as  if  it  was  a  rack,  I  feel  as  if  my  cruel  prayers  had 
been  granted,  and  I  had  brought  him  to  it !  "  she  wept. 

"That  is  morbid,  Elfie.  Whatever  brought  Colonel 
Goldsborough  a  wounded  prisoner  to  our  hospital  it  was  not 
your  prayers  !  For  we  know  that  heaven  never  hears  the 
praj^ers  for  vengeance.  But  one  word,  Elfie.  If  Colonel 
Goldsborough  rises  from  his  bed  again,  do  you  mean  to 
ratify  with  your  consent  that  forced  marriage  ?  " 

"  If  he  rises  !  Oh,  Erminie  !  you  have  looked  upon  too 
many  wounded  men  not  to  know  when  you  see  the  face  of 
a  dying  one !  Oh,  Erminie  !  you  must  see  that  he  will 
never,  never  rise  from  that  bed  ! "  said  Elfie,  breaking  into 
fresh  sobs. 

"No,  no,  Elfie,  I  see  no  such  thing ;  that  ghastly  look  of 
agony  is  by  no  means  the  look  of  death,  which  is  usually 
very  peaceful.  No,  Elfie,  Colonel  Goldsborough  may  possi- 
bly lose  his  leg  ;  but  he  has  a  very  fine  constitution.  And 
I  see  no  earthly  reason  why  he  should  lose  his  life.  It  is 
in  anticipation  of  his  recovery  that  I  warn  you  not  to  allow 
your  compassion  for  him  in  his  present  condition  to  com- 
promise your  future  relations  with  him.  But  here  we  are 
at  the  Emory,"  said  Miss  Kosenthal,  as  the  carriage  drew 
up  before  the  gates  of  the  hospital. 


334  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 
POOR  ELFIE'S  HONEYMOON. 

Can  this  be  death  ?    Then  what  is  life,  or  death  ? 

••  Speak  !  "    But  he  spoke  not.     "Wake !  "    But  still  he  slept  ; 

But  yesterday  and  who  had  mightier  breath  ? 

A  thousand  warriors  by  his  word  were  kept 

In  awe.     He  said,  as  the  centurian  saith— 

"Go,"  and  he  goeth  ;  "  Come,"  and  he  steppeth  forth. 

The  trump  and  bugle  till  he  spake  were  dumb, 

And  now  naught  left  him  but  the  muffled  drum.— BYBON. 

THE  next  morning  it  was  Elfie  who  was  all  impatience 
to  get  off  to  the  hospitals.  On  nearly  all  former  occasions 
when  Elfie  was  to  be  her  companion  in  her  rounds  among 
the  sick  and  wounded  soldiers,  Erminie  had  been  very 
much  "  tried "  by  her  friend's  dilatory  habits.  But  this 
morning  Elfie  was  dressed  and  had  the  carriage  at  the  door 
long  before  Erminie  had  got  through  her  domestic  duties 
of  the  forenoon.  And  so  Elfie  spent  the  time  in  walking 
impatiently  up  and  down  the  hall,  until  at  length  Erminie 
made  her  appearance  in  bonnet  and  shawl. 

"  You  will  go  to  the  hospital  first  ? "  inquired  Elfie, 
anxiously,  thinking  and  speaking  as  if  the  hospital  in  which 
Albert  Goldsborough  lay  were  the  only  one  in  the  city. 

"  Yes,  dear  ;  for  your  sake  I  will  go  to  '  the'  hospital  first. 
After  which  we  will  visit  the  others.  But,  Elfie,  dear, 
excuse  me  if  I  repeat  my  warning  of  yesterday.  Be  as 
kind  as  you  please ;  but  take  care  not  to  compromise  your- 
self." 

"  Now,  Erminie,  when  did  I  ever  take  care  of  myself,  in 
any  way  ?  You  might  as  well  ask  a  fish  to  fly.  I  cannot 
say  to  my  heart,  'thus  far— no  farther.'  I  never  could. 
Besides,  Erminie,  his  livid,  agonized  face  has  haunted  me 
all  the  night  through.  Don't  say  any  more  to  me,  please. 
I  don't  want  to  lose  my  self-possession  again  this  morning. 
I  don't  want  to  go  to  the  hospital  with  red  eyes,"  said  Elfie. 


POOR      EL  TIE'S      HONEYMOON.  335 

"  Well,  my  dear,  I  will  say  no  more — but  this  :  Since 
you  cannot  take  care  of  yourself,  I  pray  Heaven  to  take 
care  of  you,"  said  Miss  Rosenthal. 

They  entered  the  carriage  and  were  rapidly  driven  to  the 
hospital. 

Arrived  there,  they  found  all  signs  of  yesterday's  horrors 
effaced.  The  wounded  had  been  all  properly  cared  for,  and 
the  halls,  stairs  and  lobbies  had  been  washed. 

Erminie  had  her  usual  short  interview  with  the  surgeon 
in  charge,  and  then  passed  up,  accompanied  by  Elfie,  to  the 
wards  on  the  second  floor.  Elfie  went  at  once  to  the  ward 
in  which  Albert  Goldsborough  had  been  placed.  She 
passed  hastily  between  the  two  long  lines  of  little  beds, 
until  she  came  to  the  end,  when  she  stopped  and  uttered  a 
half-suppressed  cry. 

Albert  Goldsborough's  bed  was  empty. 

She  turned  her  wild  dilated  eyes,  full  of  the  question  her 
lips  could  not  utter,  towards  the  Union  soldier  who  occupied 
the  next  bed. 

"  Yes,  poor  fellow  !  "  said  the  soldier,  "  they've  taken  him 
to  the  operating  room." 

"  l  The  operating  room  ! '  "  gasped  Elfie,  with  suspended 
breath. 

"Yes,  Miss." 

"  But — why  have  they  taken  him  there  ?  "  she  found 
power  at  last  to  ask. 

"  To  amputate  his  leg,  poor  fellow  !  " 

"  '  To  amputate  his  leg  ! '  "  exclaimed  Elfie,  again  echo- 
ing the  soldier's  words. 

"  Yes,  Miss,  it  was  the  only  way  of  saving  his  life,  it 
seems.  This  morning  when  the  assistant-surgeon  looked  at 
his  wound,  he  sent  immediately  for  the  surgeon  in  charge, 
and  they  both  examined  it  together  and  decided  that  the 
leg  must  be  taken  off  at  once,  if  the  man's  life  was  to  be 
saved. 


336  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

Elfie,  unable  to  stand,  sank  pale  and  trembling  down 
upon  Albert  Goldsborough's  empty  bed,  and  sitting  there, 
with  clasped  hands  and  strained  eyes,  waited  for  the  soldier's 
farther  words. 

"  The  poor  fellow  objected  very  much ;  said  that  his  leg 
had  ceased  to  give  any  pain  at  all ;  that  it  was  quite  easy ; 
and,  except  for  weakness,  he  never  felt  better  in  his  life  ; 
he  had  had  the  best  night's  rest  he  had  ever  enjoyed ;  his 
leg  hadn't  troubled  him  once ;  and  he  had  waked  up  this 
morning  quite  refreshed  though  rather  feeble." 

"  Then  why  did  they  persist  in  the  operation  ?  "  cried 
Elfie. 

"  To  save  his  life,  Miss,  as  they  explained  to  him.  His 
freedom  from  pain  was,  under  the  circumstances,  the  worst 
possible  symptom.  Mortification  had  commenced  in  the 
wound  and  was  rapidly  extending  upward,  and  it  became 
necessary  to  amputate  the  limb  without  delay." 

"  And  then  he  consented  ?  "  wept  Elfie. 

"Yes,  Miss." 

"  How  long  was  that  ago  ?  " 

"They  removed  him  about  ten  minutes  before  you  en- 
tered the  ward,  Miss." 

"  So  they  are  even  now  at  their  dreadful  work  !  They 
have  him  even  now  stretched  upon  the  ghastly  operating 
board,  and  are  torturing  his  nerves  and  flesh  with  knife  and 
saw!"  shuddered  Elfie.  "Oh,  Albert!  oh,  my  love,  my 
love,  if  I  could  bear  it  for  you  !  " 

And  the  loyal  Union  girl,  who  had  discarded  and  defied 
her  rebel  lover  in  the  days  of  his  pride  and  his  power,  and 
who  had  believed  her  own  words  when  she  told  him  that 
the  one  burning  aspiration  of  her  he"art  was  to  see  him 
hanged  for  his  treason,  now  burst  into  a  convulsion  of  sob>, 
and  wept  over  his  sufferings  the  sorest  tears  she  had  ever 
shed  in  her  life. 

"Don't  distress  yourself  so  much,  Miss.     He  will  not 


POOR    ELFIE'S    HONEYMOON.        337 

feel  it.  He  will  know  nothing  after  he  is  stretched  upon 
the  operating  board  until  it  is  all  over.  They  are  going  to 
give  him  chloroform,"  said  the  young  soldier,  trying  to 
comfort  the  weeping  woman. 

Elfie  struggled  to  regain  her  self-command.  She  recol- 
lected with  compunction  that  the  hospital  ward  was  not  the 
place  to  indulge  in  the  exhibition  of  strong  emotions. 

"  Listen,  Miss,"  said  the  soldier  boy — "  I  know  he  will 
not  feel  it.  See,  Miss — I  had  my  leg  taken  off  two  weeks 
ago,  and  I  never  felt  it ;  and  just  look  how  well  I'm  getting 
over  it." 

There  was  an  instantaneous  sympathy  in  all  the  words 
and  looks  and  actions  of  the  impulsive  girl. 

"  You  had  your  leg  taken  off!  And  you  are  so  quiet  and 
patient  and  cheerful  under  it  all !  Oh,  my  poor  boy,  I 
didn't  know  it !  I  didn't,  indeed,  my  poor  child,  or  I 
wouldn't  have  been  so  indifferent  to  you  !  "  she  said,  speak- 
ing to  this  young  soldier,  near  her  own  age,  as  if  he  had 
been  her  son,  or  her  little  brother;  and  kneeling  down  by 
his  bed  to  bring  her  compassionate  face  closer  to  his  own. 

"  It  is  nothing  near  so  bad  as  you  seem  to  think,  Miss. 
Bless  you !  see  how  many  have  lost  both  legs,  or  both  arms, 
or  one  of  each.  And  see  how  many  have  lost  their  lives  ! 
I  consider  myself  one  of  the  lucky  ones,  Miss.  Only  I 
don't  dare  to  write  and  tell  mother  yet.  I  don't  know  that 
I  shall  ever  tell  her.  What  would  be  the  use  ?  I  think  I 
shall  wait  and  not  go  home  until  I  get  the  bran  new  patent 
leg  Uncle  Sam  is  going  to  give  me  ;  and  then  I  shall  walk 
in  on  mother,  in  a  new  pair  of  boots,  and  she  will  never 
know  what  is  in  them,  or  that  one  of  my  limbs  has  gone  to 
the  grave  before  me." 

"  Are  you  your  mother's  only  son  ?  "  inquired  Elfie,  still 
kneeling  by  the  bed. 

"  Oh,   no,   Miss,"    answered    the    boy,   smiling ;    "  and 
neither  is  she  a  widow.     Mother  has  a  husband  and  seven 
21 


338  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

sons  in  the  war.  I  am  only  her  youngest.  But,  bless  you, 
Miss,  she  loves  us  all  as  if  each  was  her  only  one." 

"But  if  her  husband  and  all  her  sons  are  in  the  war,  who 
is  at  home  with  her  ?  "  inquired  Elfie,  not,  however,  forget- 
ting the  man  on  the  table  in  the  operating  room,  even  while 
feeling  much  interest  in  the  new  object  of  her  sympathy. 

"Our  sister  is  at  home  with  mother.  And  I  really  do 
believe,"  added  the  boy,  smiling  archly,  "  that  nothing  but 
their  crinoline  keeps  them  out  of  the  army  ! " 

"  Nothing  but  our  crinoline,  if  that  is  to  stand  for  our 
sex,  keeps  thousands  of  us  out  of  the  army !  "  said  Elfie. 

At  that  moment  the  door  at  this  end  of  the  ward  opened, 
and  a  litle  bustle  ensued. 

Elfie  arose  from  her  position,  and  held  her  breath  in  awe. 

Through  the  door  a  small  procession  like  a  funeral  train 
entered  the  ward. 

Four  men  bore  between  them  a  bier  on  which  was  spread 
a  narrow  mattress,  with  the  motionless  form  of  a  man 
extended  at  full  length  on  it,  and  covered  with  a  white 
sheet,  and  altogether  looking  like  a  dead  body. 

Behind  the  bier  walked  the  assistant-surgeon. 

This  procession  was  simply  that  of  the  hospital  nurses 
bringing  in  the  mutilated  man,  still  in  the  deep  swoon  of 
chloroform,  and  under  the  personal  direction  of  the  doctor. 

But  as  they  approached,  Elfie  turned  deadly  pale  and 
faint,  and  gasped  forth  the  inquiry  : 

"  Is  he  gone  ?  Oh,  is  he  gone  ?  Has  he  died  under  that 
dreadful  operation  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no,  Miss,"  said  the  young  soldier,  kindly ;  "  he  is 
only  unconscious.  They  will  recover  him  as  soon  as  they 
get  him  on  the  cot  again." 

Elfie  caught  her  breath  and  clasped  her  hands,  and  strug- 
gled for  composure. 

The  soldier  nurses  lifted  the  mattress,  with  its  nearly 
lifeless  burden,  and  laid  it  on  the  cot,  and  then  turned  down 


POOR    ELFIE'S    HONEYMOON.        339 

the  sheet,  and  revealed  the  face  of  Albert  Goldsborough, 
livid,  but  quiet,  like  the  faces  of  those  who  have  recently 
fallen  asleep  in  death. 

Elfie,  holding  her  hands  upon  her  heart,  drew  near,  and 
took  courage  to  ask  the  assistant  surgeon  : 

"Doctor,  oh,  Doctor,  how  did  he  bear  the  operation? 
Will  he  survive  it  ?  Oh,  will  he  ?  " 

The  surgeon  turned,  and  seeing  the  anxious  and  pleading 
face,  guessed  at  once  that  the  inquirer  was  "  something  "  to 
the  sufferer,  and  answered  perhaps  more  kindly  than  truly : 

"  Yes,  Miss,  we  hope  he  will  do  well.  You  are  a  friend 
or  relative  of  this  man  ?  " 

"  Dear  me,  Doctor,  if  you  were  not  a  very  recent  arrival 
here,  you  would  know  me  as  well  as  you  know  the  dis- 
pensary. I  have  been  in  the  habit  of  coming  here  daily, 
with  little  intermission,  for  the  last  three  years,"  said  Elfie, 
rather  impatiently  evading  the  doctor's  question. 

"  I  have  been  here  only  for  the  last  fortnight,"  he  re- 
plied. 

"  Oh,  I  was  away  during  that  time.  But  I  was  here 
yesterday  with  Miss  Eosenthal,  and  I  brought  you  her 
message  to  come  to  this  very  patient." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  remember.  But  now  my  dear  young  lady," 
said  the  surgeon,  who  had  not  once  taken  his  finger  from 
the  pulse  of  the  man  on  the  cot,  since  he  had  been  laid 
there,  "  now  my  patient  shows  signs  of  recovery,  and  he 
must  positively  see  no  one  near  him  but  his  physician  and 
nurse.  I  must  beg  you  to  retire." 

"  But,  Doctor,  I— I  am  his  friend,"  said  Elfie,  at  length 
driven  to  this  confession. 

"  If  you  were  his  mother  or  his  sister,  his  wife  or  his 
sweetheart,  I  could  not  let  you  see  him,  or  rather,  I  could 
not  let  him  see  you,  when  he  wakes,"  said  the  surgeon, 
firmly,  though  kindly. 

"  Yes,  Elfie,  dear,  you  must  let  me  take  you  away.     Any 


840  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

sudden  shock  might  be  fatal  to  him  when  he  wakes,"  said 
Erminie,  who  had  come  unperceived  to  her  side. 

Elfie  turned  away,  with  difficulty  restraining  her  sohs. 
She  paused  a  moment  by  the  side  of  her  new  acquaintance 
on  the  next  cot. 

"  Good  bve,  young  soldier,"  she  said.  "  I  shall  see  you 
again  to-morrow.  And  I  hope  we  shall  know  you  better. 
You  are  one  of  the  heroes  of  this  war.  And  I  feel  sure 
that  your  past  courage  in  the  field  equalled  your  present 
fortitude  in  the  hospital." 

The  boy  blushed  and  smiled  to  hear  such  warm  praises 
from  such  pretty  lips,  and  he  watched  Elfie  as  long  as  she 
remained  visible  in  the  ward. 

As  soon  as  the  two  girls  were  in  the  little  carriage  again, 
Elfie  suddenly  seized  Erminie  and  hysterically  exclaimed : 

"  Oh,  Erminie  !  Oh,  Erminie  !  You  saw  him  !  You 
saw  how  livid  and  sunken  he  looked  ! " 

"  Yes,  dear,  I  saw  him." 

"  Oh,  Erminie !  you  have  been  tending  the  sick  and 
wounded  in  the  hospitals  for  nearly  four  years,  and  you  have 
had  a  great  deal  of  experience.  You  know  almost  as  much 
as  the  head  surgeon  himself,  and  a  great  deal  more  than 
these  young  under  graduates,  who  take  off  a  man's  limb  so 
deftly.  And  you  saw  how  he  looked.  Will  he  live  ?  Will 
he  live  ?  " 

"I  hope  and  trust  so,  my  dear,"  said  Miss  Eosenthal 
gently. 

When  people  say  they  hope  and  trust,  they  always  mean 
they  don't  believe,"  cried  Elfie,  wringing  her  hands. 

Miss  Eosenthal  tried  to  turn  the  conversation. 

"  You  forgot  to  keep  your  appointment  with  your  little 
champion  yesterday,  Elfie." 

"  I  had  forgotten  the  very  existence  of  little  Mim," 
sobbed  Elfie. 

"  Shall  I  tell  the  coachman  to  set  you  down  there  ?  It  is 
directly  on  our  way  to  the  Emory  Hospital." 


POOR    ELFIE'S    HONEYMOON.        341 

"  No,  tell  him  to  drive  me  first  to  the  nearest  bookseller's, 
and  then  to  the  next  fruit  shop.  I  mustn't  go  empty- 
handed  when  I  do  go,"  said  Elfie,  remorsefully. 

Miss  Rosenthal  gave  the  proper  directions,  the  coachman 
drove  to  the  designated  places,  and  Elfie  made  her  pur- 
chases, and  in  due  time  was  set  down  at  the  gate  of  little 
Mim's  cottage. 

"  Call  and  pick  me  up  as  you  come  hack  from  the  Emory, 
Erminie,"  said  Elfie,  as  she  passed  through  the  gate. 

"Certainly,"  smiled  Miss  Rosenthal  as  she  entered  the 
carriage,  which  immediately  drove  off. 

Elfie  was  well  received  by  the  little  old  Misses  Mini — all 
the  better  received  because  she  had  missed  her  appointment 
with  them  on  the  day  before.  It  argued  well  for  them  they 
thought  that  she  was  not  so  over  fond  of  Jim's  society,  and 
perhaps  she  was  not  so  over  anxious  to  marry  him  after  all, 
they  said,  nodding  their  heads  together. 

Little  Mim  himself  welcomed  his  visitor  with  an  effusion 
.of  gratitude.  He  stopped  her  apologies  with  his  thanks, 
and  accepted  her  books,  and  her  fruit,  and  her  company 
with  delight. 

Elfie  sat  two  hours  with  him  ;  but  she  refrained  from  men- 
tioning the  presence  of  Albert  Goldsborough  in  the  hospital. 
She  refrained  from  two  reasons  :  the  fear  of  exciting  the 
injured  man,  and  the  dread  of  hearing  him  abuse  one  who 
was  now  only  the  object  of  her  compassion,  her  anxiety,  and 
her  affection. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  Miss  Eosenthal  called 
in  the  carriage,  paid  little  Mim  a  short  visit,  and  then  took 
Elfie  home. 

The  next  morning  Elfie  was  all  feverish  impatience  to  get 
to  the  hospital  where  Goldsborough  lay. 

And  Erminie  so  strongly  sympathized  with  her  in  her 
anxiety  that  she  despatched  her  domestic  affairs  in  great 
haste,  and  was  seated  beside  Elfie  in  the  little  carriage  an 
hour  earlier  than  usual. 


342  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

They  drove  rapidly  to  the  hospital,  and  while  Miss  Ros- 
enthal  was  holding  a  consultation  with  the  sister  in  charge 
of  the  clothing  room,  Elfie  hurried  to  the  second  floor  and 
entered  the  ward  where  her  patient  lay. 

Merely  bowing  to  the  nurses  in  attendance,  she  passed 
swiftly  up  hetween  the  rows  of  beds,  but  paused  suddenly 
beside  that  which  sustained  the  wasted  form  of  her  lover, 
who  seemed  to  be  sleeping,  or  swooning ;  she  could  not 
tell  which. 

A  great  change  had  passed  over  the  face  and  form  of 
Albert  Goldsborough  since  the  day  before.  His  face  was 
more  livid  and  sunken  then  ever ;  black  shadows  had  gath- 
ered in  the  hollows  of  his  eyes,  and  temples,  and  cheeks,  and 
around  his  pallid  lips,  which,  drawn  tightly  apart  showed 
the  dry,  glistening  teeth  between  them.  His  eyes  were 
half  open  and  half  opaque  like  the  eyes  of  the  dying.  His 
shrunken  form  beneath  the  closely  clinging  counterpane, 
revealed  the  rapid  wasting  of  flesh  and  muscle  that  had 
gone  on  even  in  the  last  few  hours. 

As  soon  as  Elfie's  eyes  fell  upon  him  she  suppressed  the 
scream  that  rose  to  her  mouth,  and  turned  in  agonized 
inquiry  to  her  friend  on  the  next  cot. 

"Oh,  what  has  happened  since  last  night?"  she  fal- 
tered. 

"  I  am  very  sorry  to  tell  you,  Miss,  but  for  some  reason  or 
other  the  stump  broke  out  bleeding  in  the  night,  and  there 
was  a  very  exhausting  hemmorrhage  before  it  could  be 
stopped  again." 

"  And — is  there — great  danger  ?  "  faintly  inquired  Elfie, 
sinking  upon  the  chair  that  stood  between  the  two  beds. 

"  Well — no,  Miss,  we  all  hope  not,  if  it  doesn't  break  out 
again,"  answered  the  young  soldier,  hesitatingly. 

"  But— can  it  break  out  again  ?  Is  it  likely  *-*;do  so  ?  " 
anxiously  inquired  Elfie,  now  gazing  in  distress  upon  the 
ghastly  face  of  her  lover,  and  now  turning  appealingly  to 
her  new  friend. 


POOR      EL  FIB'S      HONEYMOON.  343 

"  Well — perhaps  not,  Miss,"  said  the  young  soldier,  pain- 
fully suppressing  the  truth  to  avoid  wounding  her. 

Again  Elfie's  gaze  was  fixed  upon  the  fallen  face  of  her 
lover,  who  opened  his  eyes  and  recognized  her  with  a  wan 
smile. 

"Thank  you  for  coming,  my  love.  I  knew  you  would 
come  to  me.  They  told  me,  when  I  asked  for  you,  that  you 
came  yesterday,  but  that  they  could  not  let  you  stay  to  see 
me.  I  knew  that  you  would  come  again  to-day,  Elfie,"  he 
said,  feebly  holding  out  his  hand  to  her. 

"  Oh  !  Albert,  dear,  my  heart  bleeds  for  you,"  she  cried, 
trying  to  keep  back  her  rising  tears. 

«  You  know  my  fate,  Elfie  ?  " 

"  Oh  no,  dear ;  none  but  the  Omniscient  can  know  that. 
But  I  feel  sure,  if  you  will  only  keep  quiet  and  not  let — 
that  happen  again,  you  will  get  well.  Come,  Albert,  I  will 
not  excite  myself  or  you  either.  But  I  will  not  leave  you 
again,  dear.  I  will  stay  with  you  until — until  you  get  well. 
See  ! "  she  said,  drawing  from  her  pocket  the  wedding-ring 
that  she  had  once  indignantly  torn  from  her  finger,  but  still 
refrained  from  destroying.  "  See,  I  put  on  your  ring — I 
put  it  on ^ now  of  my  own  accord,  willingly,  gladly,  so  that 
I  may  stay  and  nurse  you  !  See  !  " 

"Elfie — darling!  stop!  mind  what  you  are  about!  Do 
not  compromise  yourself !  I  may  live  ! "  said  the  almost 
dying  man,  laying  his  feeble  hand  on  hers." 

"  Heaven  grant  that  you  may  !  But  now  see  ! "  she  said, 
slipping  the  ring  firmly  upon  her  finger,  and  adding — "  I 
will  never  leave  you  more,  Albert,  never,  never." 

"  Ah,  my  poor  girl !  I  alwaj^s  knew  you  loved  your 
'traitor/  although  you  hated  his  treason!"  exclaimed 
Goldsborough,  feebly  raising  the  ringed  hand,  and  pressing 
it  to  his,  lips. 

At  that  moment  the  surgeon,  in  making  his  rounds,  came 
up  to  Go  isborough's  bed.  At  a  short  distance  he  was  fol- 


344  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

lowed  by  Miss  Eosenthal  and  one  of  the  nurses  in  close 
consultation. 

While  the  surgeon  was  feeling  the  pulse  of  his  patient, 
Elfie  was  straining  her  ears  to  catch  the  words  of  the  con- 
versation between  Miss  Rosenthal  and  the  nurse.  At 
length,  as  they  drew  nearer,  she  heard  the  latter  say  : 

"No,  Miss,  the  surgeon  seems  to  think  there  is  no  hope 
in  the  world  for  his  life  !  His  death  is  but  the  question  of  a 
few  days  or  hours." 

Elfie  knew  that  the  hospital  nurse  was  speaking  of  Albert 
Goldsborough,  and  though,  from  his  appearance,  she  might 
have  been  prepared,  and  perhaps  was  prepared,  to  hear  such 
a  sentence,  yet  for  an  instant  her  senses  reeled  and  she 
caught  the  back  of  the  cbair  for  support. 

Then  with  an  effort  she  recovered  her  self-control,  and 
turned  her  eyes  on  the  face  of  the  assistant  surgeon,  who 
was  still  examining  his  patient,  and  tried  to  read  in  its  ex- 
pression some  reversal  of  the  nurse's  sentence. 

But  the  surgeon's  face  was  quite  impassible. 

Presently,  however,  he  looked  up  and  addressed  Elfie. 

"  Young  lady,  I  do  not  wish  to  be  discourteous,"  he  said, 
very  gentty,  "but  my  patient's  condition  demands  the 
strictest  quiet,  and  will  not  admit  of  his  seeing  visitors. 
Therefore,  I  must  request  you  to  retire." 

For  all  answer,  Elfie  deliberately  arose  and  took  off  her 
gloves,  mantle,  and  bonnet,  and  laid  them  on  the  empty 
chair.  And  then,  while  the  surgeon  was  staring  at  her  as 
if  to  see  what  she  would  do  next,  she  answered  firmly : 

"No,  doctor,  I  cannot  leave  him.  I  must  remain  with 
him  until — until  he  leaves  the  hospital." 

"  But,  my  dear  young  lady — " 

"  Say  no  more,  doctor.  I  will  not  leave  him.  My  place 
is  by  his  side.  I  am  his  wife." 

And  so  saying,  she  came  to  the  side  of  the  cot  and  placed 
her  hanc  in  that  of  the  dying  man,  who  closed  his  wan 


THE     REBEL    ON     HIS     RAIDS     NO     MORE.      345 

fingers  over  it,  and  raised  his  eyes,  full  of  unspeakable  love, 
to  her  pitying  face. 

In  the  utmost  perplexity,  the  surgeon  turned  towards 
Miss  Kosenthal  for  an  explanation. 

"  Yes,  doctor,"  said  Erminie,  gravely  and  sweetly,  "  she 
has  a  right  to  stay  with  him.  She  is  his  wife." 


CHAPTEE  XXXII. 
"THE  REBEL  RIDES  ON  HIS  RAIDS  NO  MORE." 

Do  not  cheat  her  heart  and  tell  her, 

"  Grief  will  pass  away, 
Hope  for  fairer  times  in  future, 

And  forget  to-day  " — 
Tell  her,  if  you  will,  that  sorrow 

Tell  her  that  the  lesson  taught  her 
Far  outweighs  the  pain.— A.  A.  PROOTOK. 

So  Elfie  was  permitted  to  remain  in  the  ward  and  nurse 
her  hushand.  There  was  no  provision  in  the  hospital  for 
extra  nurses,  and  every  woman  who  came  to  attend  the 
sick  bed  of  husband,  son  or  brother,  had  to  take  the  chance 
of  catching  a  wink  of  sleep  or  a  mite  of  food  or  drop  of 
drink  as  best  she  could. 

As  Erminie  was  about  to  take  leave  of  her  friend,  she 
stooped  and  whispered : 

"  You  do  well  to  remain,  dear  Elfie,  but  there  are  no  ac- 
commodations for  you  here,  so  I  will  send  Bob  back  with 
such  comforts  as  I  think  you  will  be  most  likely  to  need, 
and  I  will  also  speak  to  Sister  Agnes  to  let  you  have  the 
use  of  her  dormitory  sometimes,  and  I  hope  your  health  will 
not  suffer." 

"  Thanks  !  a  thousand  heartfelt  thanks,  dear  Erminie, 
for  all  your  kindness,  and  above  all,  for  the  greatest  kind- 
ness of  not  blaming  me  for  this,"  said  Elfie. 

"  My  poor  girl,  I  never  shall  dream  of  blaming  you  now," 


346  HOW     HE     WON      HEE. 

murmured  Miss  Rosenthal,  turning  away  to  conceal  her 
emotion. 

While  they  had  been  speaking,  Albert  Goldsborough, 
with  his  hand  clasped  in  Elfie's,  had  dropped  into  one  of 
those  light  and  fitful  slumbers  that  attend  the  dying. 

When  Erminie  had  left  her,  Elfie  remained  holding  the 
hand  of  the  sinking  man  until  he  awoke  with  a  start,  and 
looking  up  at  her  with  a  smile,  murmured  faintly  : 

"  Yes,  you  are  there.     It  is  no  dream.     You  are  there." 

"  Yes,  I  am  here,  never  to  leave  you  again,  Albert." 

"  But  let  me  keep  hold  of  your  hand,  so  that  if  I  drop 
asleep  again,  I  may  know,  even  in  my  dreams,  that  I  have 
you." 

She  gave  him  both  her  hands,  caressing  his,  and  looking 
on  him  with  unspeakable  tenderness. 

"  Elfie,  my  darling,"  he  murmured, — "  when  I  look  at 
you  so,  and  think  how  I  wronged  you,  it  almost  breaks  my 
heart !  I  am  sorry !  I  am  sorry  !  " 

"  Albert,  dear,  don't  look  so  !  don't  speak  so  !  You  have 
done  me  no  wrong  at  all — none,  none,  I  say.  But  if — 
if » 

"  If  what,  Elfie  ?  " 
.  "  Oh  !  if  I  could  only  hear  you  say — say " 

"  Say  what,  my  darling  girl  ?  " 

"  Say  that — that  you  are  sorry — sorry  for  taking  up  arms 
against  your  native  land  ! "  sobbed  Elfie. 

With  a  spasm  of  pain  Goldsborough  turned  his  face  to 
the  wall. 

"  Oh,  Albert !  I  would  give  my  life  this  day  to  hear  you 
say  that,  and  say  it  truly!  Heaven  knows  I  would!  I 
would  !  my  own  love  !  "  cried  Elfie,  sobbing  as  if  her  heart 
would  burst ;  yet  knowing  that  such  indulgence  of  emotion 
was  wrong  in  herself  and  injurious  to  the  wounded  man, 
and  trying  hard  to  compose  herself. 

With    difficulty    Goldsborough     turned    his    head    and 


THE     KE15KL     OX     HIS     RAIDS     NO     MORE.      347 

shoulders,  the  half  of  his  hody  that  he  could  move,  around 
towards  her  and  faced  her  again. 

"Elfie,"  he  said,  sadly  and  frankly,  "if  I  were  conscious 
of  having  done  wrong,  I  should  be  sorry  for  it  now,  or 
never.  '  A  death-bed  's  a  detector  of  the  heart,'  'tis  said. 
If  the  course  you  blame  so  bitterly  had  been  a  career  of 
crime,  I  should  know  it  now,  if  ever,  and  I  should  atone  for 
it  by  a  death-bed  repentance.  And  you,  and  all  who  think 
with  you,  would  unite  in  approving  and  consoling  the  peni- 
tent. But  when  I  speak  my  next  words,  Elfie,  you  and 
yours  may  harden  your  hearts  against  me.  I  cannot  help 
tii  at.  For,  Elfie,  not  to  secure  the  good  will  of  the  people 
around  me — not  even  to  secure  your  sweet  presence,  which 
is  the  only  earthly  consolation  I  have  now  left  in  life — will  I 
deceive  myself,  or  you,  or  them.  Listen,  Elfie,  and  then 
leave  me  if  you  must.  Here  lying  in  the  hospital,  wounded 
and  dying,  and  surrounded  by  the  enemies  of  my  country, 
and  in  danger  of  losing  your  love,  I  tell  you  I  am  not  sorry 
for  what  I  have  done.  I  do  not  repent  the  course  I  have 
pursued.  I  know  now, -as  I  knew  then,  that  I  was  and  am 
right.  There,  Elfie !  That  is  the  faith  in  which  I  shall 
live  and  die.  You,  Elfie,  think  differently.  And  I  do  not 
blame  you.  The  freedom  of  opinion  that  I  claim  for  my- 
self I  give  to  all  others.  Now  then,  my  dearest,  if  your 
conscience  commands  you  to  leave  me,  leave  me.  And  if 
you  go,  I  shall  not  reproach  you,  even  in  my  thoughts.  I 
shall  thank  you  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart  for  all  past 
kindness ;  I  shall  love  you  as  long  as  I  live,  and  I  shall 
bless  you  with  my  dying  breath.  Now  go,  my  beloved,  if 
indeed  you  must." 

"  Oh,  Albert !  "  exclaimed  Elfie,  struggling  to  suppress 
her  tears,  "  you  know  I  will  never  leave  you  while  you  live  ! 
never,  Albert,  never !  I  cannot  convert  you,  but  I  cannot 
help  loving  you ! "  she  added,  stooping  and  pressing  her 
lips  to  his. 


348  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

"  My  poor,  dear  girl,  I  wish  we  could  think  alike  !  "  lie 
murmured,  feebly  caressing  her  head,  that  lay  so  near  his 


"And  now  let  us  talk  no  more  of  this  horrible  war.  Let 
us  forget  for  a  while  the  madness  of  the  rebellion,"  said 
Elfie. 

"  Not  just  yet,  my  Elfie.  I  must  justify  myself  in  your 
eyes,  for  your  sake,  if  possible,"  he  murmured. 

"  Oh  !  do  not — do  not !  Oh  !  say  no  more.  You  are 
already  too  much  excited.  I  was  very  wrong  to  have  started 
the  subject.  I  have  raised  your  fever;  and  the  doctor 
would  serve  me  right  to  turn  me  out  of  the  hospital,"  said 
Elfie. 

"  My  dear  girl,  you  have  not  excited -me.  Don't  you  see 
that  I  am  past  all  that.  Elfie  ?  Besides,  I  must  say  more 
in  self-justification.  Only  to  you,  Elfie.  I  would  not  stoop 
to  justify  myself  to  another,"  he  proudly  added. 

"  Go  on,  then,  but  don't — don't  fatigue  yourself:" 

"Listen,  then,  my  darling  girl:  You  and  I  are  diamet- 
rically opposed  to  each  other  on  the  subject  of  this  civil 
war,  are  we  not  ?  " 

"Yes,  yes;  more's  the  pity." 

"So  say  I,  'More's  the  pity.'  And  yet,  diametrically 
opposed  as  we  are,  we  are  each  of  us  true  to  our  firmest 
convictions  of  duty,  are  we  not  ?  " 

"  I  truly  believe  so,"  admitted  Elfie. 

"  And  so  far  each  of  us  is  right.  We  are  both  right  in 
adhering  to  what  we  conscientiously  believe  to  be  our 
duty." 

Elfie  was  puzzled  and  silenced.     Goldsborough  went  on. 

"  We  should  either  of  us  be  very  wrong  to  give  up  our 
honest  convictions  of  duty  merely  to  please  the  other." 

Elfie  was  still  perplexed  and  dumb-foundered. 

"  Listen,  my  darling.  In  the  old  days  of  intolerance, 
religious  persecution  was  the  great  madness.  The  one 


THE     REBEL    ON     HIS     RAIDS    NO    MORE.    349 

Christian  sect  that  happened  to  "be  dominant  persecuted  all 
other  Christian  sects,  and  for  the  glory  of  God,  roasted 
them  alive ;  and  the  other  Christian  sects,  still  for  the 
glory  of  God  submitted  to  be  roasted,  and  hoped  for 
the  crown  of  martyrdom.  But  by  and  by  the  tables 
would  be  turned,  and  the  dominant  sect  would  be  down 
find  some  other  sect  would  be  up  and  the  persecutors 
would  become  the  persecuted,  and  the  roasters  the 
roasted.  And  again,  whatever  was  done  or  suffered  on 
either  hand  was  for  the  sake  of  conscience  and  for  the  glory 
of  God.  Now,  Elfie,  in  the  face  of  such  facts  as  history 
gives,  when  men  so  honestly  differed  in  such  mighty  issues 
that  they  were  ready  to  sacrifice  each  other  and  to  yield  up 
their  own  lives,  each  in  defence  of  his  own  peculiar  convic- 
tions, what  have  you  to  say  ?  " 

"  Why,  that  there  are  many  wrong  ways  and  but  one 
right  one,  if  we  could  only  find  it,"  said  Elfie. 

"  Yes,  if  we  could  only  find  it,"  smiled  Goldsborough  ; 
"  but  in  the  difficulty  each  must  take  the  way  he  thinks  to 
be  the  right  way;  and  to  him  it  will  be  the  right  way. 
Elfie,  my  darling,  the  days  of  intolerance  are  passing  away. 
Keligious  intolerance  is  a  thing  of  the  past.  Political  in- 
tolerance and  social  intolerance  will  follow  it  into  oblivion. 
Meanwhile — " 

"  Meanwhile,  dear  Albert,  you  are  talking  too  much.  Do 
not  think  it  necessary  to  justify  yourself  to  me.  Let  me 
stop  all  with  this — "  she  said,  stooping  and  pressing  her 
lips  to  his.  "  I  love  you,  Albert,  I  love  you — I  love  you  ; 
that  is  the  one  thing  I  am  surest  of  now.  There,  close 
your  eyes  and  try  to  sleep,  with  my  hand  in  yours,  and  my 
face  near  yours,"  she  murmured,  dropping  her  head  on  the 
edge  of  his  pillow. 

He  smiled,  and  with  one  hand  clasped  in  hers,  and  the 
other  laid  lightly  among  the  black  tresses  of  her  bended 
head,  he  closed  his  eyes,  and  tried  to  rest. 


350  H  O  r/      HE      WON     HER. 

v 

He  was  in  that  state  of  physical  decline  when  conversa- 
tion is  not  exciting  but  exhausting.  He  was  very  much 
exhausted,  and  he  slept. 

Even  in  that  crowded  ward  they  were,  from  their  position, 
nearly  isolated.  The  cot  was  in  the  corner,  with  a  window 
at  each  angle ;  and  their  nearest  neighbor  was  the  young 
Union  soldier  who  had  lost  his  leg.  The  boy,  from  a  sense 
of  politeness,  had  turned  his  back  upon  them,  and  was 
occupying  his  attention  with  a  newspaper. 

Elfie's  patient  slept,  and  Elfie  never  moved  and  scarcely 
breathed,  lest  she  should  disturb  him. 

How  long  the  days  in  the  hospital  seemed.  People  came 
and  went.  A  low  hum  of  conversation  prevailed. 

Once  Elfie  was  conscious  that  a  consultation  was  going 
on  by  the  bedside  of  a  patient  half  way  down  the  row  of 
beds  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  ward.  And  soon  after  she 
heard  a  little  bustle  of  preparation,  and  she  saw  a  proces- 
sion like  a  funeral  train  bearing  that  patient  on  his  mat- 
tress on  a  bier  from  the  ward  to  the  operating  room. 

The  procession  had  to  pass  her  to  go  out  by  the  door  at 
her  end  of  the  ward.  And  as  it  went  by,  she  knew  that 
another  victim  was  about  to  lose  a  limb  and,  perhaps,  his 
life  also. 

This  victim  never  came  back. 

In  an  hour  afterwards  Elfie  learned  from  the  nurses  that 
he  had  died  under  the  knife,  and  had  been  taken  to  the 
dead  house. 

The  dinner  hour  for  the  patients  came.  And  the  beef 
tea,  wine  whey,  chicken  broth,  milk  punch,  boiled  rice,  calf  s 
foot  jelly,  and  whatever  else  had  been  ordered,  or  provided, 
was  served  around. 

It  was  sometime  before  Albert  Goldsborough  awoke ;  but 
\vhen  he  did  a  choice  was  given  him  among  all  the  delicacies 
furnished  to  the  sick.  He  had  no  appetite,  but  was  con- 
sumed by  a  great  thirst.  So  he  asked  only  for  iced  lemon- 
ade,  and  got  it. 


THE     REBEL    ON     HIS     RAIDS     NO    MORE.      351 

Elfie  raised  his  head  while  he  drank  it. 

"  That  will  do,  my  dearest,"  he  said,  drawing  a  deep 
breath  of  relief  when  he  had  drained  the  glass.  "  Only  keep 
me  in  a  plenty  of  this,  and  I  shall  do  well.  Cooling  drink  is 
the  only  material  want  I  have  left  me,"  he  added,  smiling. 

"  You  shall  have  a  water  cooler  full  of  it  set  by  the  bed, 
so  that  I  can  draw  it  ice  cold  from  the  spigot  whenever  you 
like,"  said  Elfie,  as  she  laid  his  head  back  on  the  pillow. 

"  But  you,  my  darling  !  What  provision  is  there  here  for 
your  comfort  ?  How  will  you  eat  and  drink  ?  Where  will 
you  sleep  ?  "  he  anxiously  inquired. 

"  All  right.  Don't  distress  yourself,  Albert,  Erminie  will 
send  me  my  meals.  And  Sister  Agnes  will  give  me  the  use 
of  her  room,  when  I  require  it,"  answered  Elfie. 

Albert  Goldsborough  seemed  very  much  refreshed  by  his 
long  sleep  and  his  cool  drink,  and  now  he  was  inclined  to 
talk  a  little  more. 

"  Elfie,"  he  said,  "  if  I  die,  my  widow  will  be  one  of  the 
wealthiest  women  in  Virginia." 

"  Dear  Albert,  you  are  a  great  deal  better.  You  are  not 
going  to  die.  And  if  you  were,  I  know  very  well  that 
wealth  would  never  console  your  widow  for  your  loss.  But 
you  will  live,  Albert.  You  will  get  over  this  and  live  !  " 

"  If  I  do  live,  Elfie,  I  will  atone  to  you  for  all  I  have 
made  you  suffer.  If  I  die,  I  have  the  comfort  of  knowing 
that  yon  will  be  very  rich  in  this  world's  goods." 

"  Pray — pray  don't  talk  so,  dear." 

"  I  must,  Elfie  !  I  must  explain,  while  I  can,  my  worldly 
position,  that  you  may  understand  it  and  know  how  to  pro- 
ceed in  the-  event  of  my  death.  Elfie,  my  uncle  and  aunt 
Goldsborough,  and  their  unhappy  daughter,  being  all  dead, 
and  there  being  no  other  heirs,  all  the  vast  estates  appertain- 
ing to  the  elder  branch  of  the  Goldsborough  family  fall  to  me, 
as  heir-at-law.  The  mansion  in  Eichmond,  the  villa  on  the 
sea-side,  and  the  plantation  in  the  valley  are  all  mine.  The 


352  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

plantation-house  is  in  ruins,  I  believe  ;  but  tbe  land  is  there, 
of  course.  And  the  rest  of  the  property  everywhere  is 
intact;  and,  united  to  my  own  hereditary  acres,  makes  a 
vast  estate." 

"  As  if  I  cared  for  that !  Oh,  Albert,  I  only  care  to  see 
you  get  well,"  she  murmured. 

"  And  I  will  get  well,  to  please  you,  if  I  can,  Elfie.  And 
as  I  said  before,  if  I  live,  I  will  devote  my  life  to  your  hap- 
piness. If  I  die,  I  will  leave  you  the  wealthiest  widow  in 
Virginia.  For,  Elfie,  listen,  my  dear  —  whichever  party 
conquers,  you  will  be  all  right.  If  the  Confederacy  triumphs, 
as  the  widow  of  a  Confederate  officer,  you  will  succeed  to  the 
half  of  my  estate.  If  the  Union  triumphs,  as  the  daughter 
of  a  Union  officer,  and  as  an  unquestionably  loyal  woman, 
you  will  still  be  allowed  your  widow's  rights  to  the  one-half 
of  my  estates,  although  the  other  half  may  be  confiscated 
by  the  conquerors." 

"  Albert !  Albert !  if  you  will  talk  so,  I  cannot  help  it, 
of  course  !  but  you  distress  me  very  much,"  wept  Elfie. 

"  I  have  done,  tny  dear  girl.  I  will  say  no  more.  And 
although  you  could  not  bear  to  hear  my  words  just  now, 
you  will  think  of  them  in  calmer  moments,  and  act  on  them 
in  after  days — or  your  father  or  friends  will  for  you.  Give 
me  your  hand  once  more,  beloved,  and  I  will  try  to  sleep 


Elfie  gave  him  her  hand  and  dropped  her  head  on  the 
pillow  beside  him,  and  again  his  exhausted  frame  sunk  to 
rest. 

On  this  occasion  he  slept  longer  than  on  the  former  one. 
And  Elfie  never  moved  and  scarcely  breathed,  until  she  felt 
a  hand  laid  lightly  on  her  shoulder,  and  looking  up  saw 
Sister  Agnes  standing  by  her. 

"  Miss  Kosenthal  has  sent  your  dinner,  and  also  a  box  of 
necessaries,  which  I  have  placed  in  my  room.  Will  you 
come  now  ?"  whispered  the  sister. 


THE  REBEL  ON  HIS  RAIDS  NO  MORE.  353 

Elfie  shook  her  head  and  pointed  to  the  sleeping  man, 
whose  hand  still  firmly  clasped  her  own. 

And  just  at  that  moment,  as  if  the  sleeper  dreamed  or 
divined  that  she  was  asked  to  leave  him,  he  started  and 
closed  his  fingers  upon  hers  with  a  convulsive  grip. 

"  You  see  ?  "  whispered  Elfie. 

"  I  see.  I  will  keep  jour  dinner  warm  and  come  again 
after  a  while,"  said  the  sister,  stealing  softly  away. 

The  hours  crept  slowly  by  and  the  afternoon  waned 
towards  evening. 

At  four  o'clock  the  patients  had  their  tea,  but  Albert  did 
not  awake. 

At  six  o'clock  the  assistant-surgeons  in  charge  of  the 
wards  made  their  rounds.  These  rounds  were  always 
attended  with  some  little  bustle,  and  the  bustle  always 
awoke  nervous  sleepers.  It  awoke  Goldsborough. 

"  Here  still,  my  guardian  angel,"  he  said,  smiling  grate- 
fully on  his  watcher. 

"  Here  always,  Albert.  What  will  you  have  now  ?  The 
others  had  their  tea  two  hours  ago.  You  can  have  yours 
now,  if  you  like." 

"  No,  nothing  so  warm  as  tea.  A  draught  of  that  deli- 
rious lemonade.  I  am  so  thirsty." 

Elfie  filled  a  glass  from  a  pitcher  of  iced  lemonade  that 
she  kept  at  hand,  and  then  she  lifted  his  head  while  he 
drank  it. 

"Ah,  that  is  so  refreshing,"  he  said,  with  a  sigh  of 
pleasure,  as  she  laid  him  gently  back  on  his  pillow. 

At  that  moment  the  surgeon  in  charge  and  Sister  Agnes 
came  up  together. 

"Well,  you  are  looking  much  better  this  afternoon.  I 
think  the  presence  of  this  lady  is  a  great  restorative,"  said 
the  doctor,  cheerfully  addressing  Goldsborough. 

"  So  great  a  restorative  that  it  will  save  me  if  anything 
can,"  smiled  Albert. 
22 


854  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

"Well,  now,  we  must  look  at  your  leg.  And  we  must 
ask  the  lady  to  retire  while  we  do  so." 

Elfie  hesitated,  until  Albert  turned  to  her  and  said : 

"Yes,  darling,  go.  You  need  to  be  relieved  from  duty 
here  for  a  little  while,  and  now  is  your  best  opportunity. 
You  shall  return  when  they  have  done." 

"  Come  with  me,"  said  Sister  Agnes. 

And  Elfie  stooped  and  kissed  her  husband,  and  then 
arose  and  followed  the  nurse. 

"Oh,  Sister  Agnes,"  said  Elfie,  when  they  had  left  the 
ward,  "you  have  experience;  you  can  tell  me;  don't  you 
think  he  is  much  better  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  certainly  do,"  replied  the  Sister  of  Mercy,  glad 
to  be  able  to  give  the  anxious  young  questioner  some  real 
encouragement. 

"And— don't  you  think  he  will  get  well?"  eagerly 
inquired  Elfie. 

"  I  think  there  are  good  grounds  to  hope  so,"  answered 
the  sister :  "  there  is  certainly  a  great  change  for  the  better 
in  him  since  this  morning." 

"  Sister  Agnes,  is  there  any  particular  danger  that  may 
threate'n  him,  and  can  I  guard  against  it  in  any  way  ?  " 

"  My  dear,  I  will  be  frank  with  you.  There  is  a  possi- 
bility of  another  hemorrhage  from  his  wound.  You  can 
guard  against  that  by  keeping  him  quiet  and  following  the 
doctor's  directions  in  all  matters." 

"  Oh,  I  will  be  so  careful,"  said  Elfie. 

And  by  this  time  they  had  reached  the  little  refectory 
used  by  Sister  Agnes  and  her  companions,  and  where 
Elfie's  dinner  awaited  her.  A  simple  dinner  of  boiled 
chicken  and  mashed  potatoes,  rice  pudding  and  green  tea. 

"  I  added  the  green  tea,  my  dear,  to  keep  you  awake.  I 
suppose  you  will  want  to  watch  to-night  ?  " 

"  OD>  Jes>  yes  !  Many  thanks  for  your  kind  thoughtful* 
ness,"  said  Elfie,  earnestly. 


THE    EEBEL    ON     HIS    RAIDS     NO     MORE.      355 

When  Elfie  had  finished  her  light  repast,  Sister  Agnes 
took  her  to  a  small  sleeping  room  in  the  third  story,  con- 
taining two  little  white  beds,  two  little  wash-stands  and 
two  chairs — and  having  no  other  furniture. 

"  Sister  Mary-Joseph  and  myself  sleep  here.  That  is  my 
bed  by  the  window.  I  advise  you  to  lie  down  on  it  and  rest 
for  an  hour  or  two  before  you  return  to  your  patient.  He 
will  be  well  taken  care  of  during  your  absence,  never  fear," 
said  Sister  Agnes. 

"  You  are  very  good,  but  I  would  rather  go  back,  when  I 
have  bathed  my  face  and  arranged  my  dress.  Where  is  the 
box  Miss  Eosenthal  sent  me,  please  ?  " 

"Here  it  is,"  said  the  sister,  drawing  a  medium  sized 
trunk  from  under  the  bed. 

The  key  was  tied  to  one  of  the  handles,  and  Elfie  untied 
it  and  opened  the  trunk.  Erminie  had  sent  her  a  soft  gray 
merino  wrapper,  suitable  for  nursing,  a  soft  pair  of  cloth 
slippers,  a  change  of  clothing  and  a  great  plenty  of  fresh 
pocket-handerchiefs  and  towels. 

Elfie  dressed  herself  in  these  comfortable  habiliments, 
and  then  requested  her  guide  to  show  her  back  to  her  ward. 

"For  I  never  could  find  the  right  way  by  myself,  I  am 
sure,"  she  said. 

The  sister  complied  with  her  request  and  attended  her  to 
the  door  of  the  ward,  where  she  left  her. 

A  few  steps  within  the  room  Elfie  met  the  assistant 
surgeon,  and  stopped  him  to  put  the  same  questions  she 
had  already  put  to  the  sister. 

"  He  is  much  better,  doctor,  isn't  he  ?  He  will  recover, 
won't  he  ?  " 

"We  have  good  reason  to  hope  so,  Madam,"  answered 
the  surgeon. 

"  But  I  cannot  get  him  to  take  any  nourishment.  He 
has  no  appetite ;  only  a  great  thirst,  and  he  will  take  noth- 
ing except  lemonade,"  complained  Elfie, 


366  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

"  Then  do  not  force  nourishment  upon  him.  Give  him 
the  drink  he  craves,"  said  the  surgeon  hurrying  past  her  to 
attend  to  his  other  business. 

Elfie  went  down  between  the  two  rows  of  little  white 
beds  until  she  came  to  the  corner  where  Albert  Golds- 
borough  lay. 

He  was  wide  awake,  and  waiting  for  her.  He  seemed 
refreshed,  and  cheerful. 

"  I  have  been  looking  for  you,  my  darling.  The  doctor 
has  given  me  an  opiate,  and  ordered  me  to  go  to  sleep,  as 
if  one  could  go  to  sleep  to  order !  I  could  not  do  so  with- 
out your  hand  in  mine.  Sit  by  my  bed,  dear  Elfie,  and  let 
me  feel  that  you  are  there  while  I  sink  to  rest,"  he  said. 

And  Elfie  took  up  her  old  position,  with  her  hand  clasped 
in  his,  and  her  cheek  on  the  edge  of  his  pillow. 


CHAPTER   XXXIII. 

AT   PEACE. 

Here  lurks  no  treason  here  no  envy  swells, 

Here  grows  no  damned  grudges  ;  here  are  no  storms, 

l<o  noise,  but  silence  and  eternal  sleep.— SHAKSPEABE. 

DUKTNG  Elfie's  absence  from  the  ward  all  the  sick  and 
wounded  had  been  made  as  comfortable  as  circumstances 
would  permit  for  the  night.  The  greater  number  of  them 
had  been  quieted  by  opium.  And  even  those  who  could  not 
sleep  lay  in  benign  repose,  under  the  influence  of  that 
blessed  but  much  abused  « gift  of  God."  Certainly  the 
great  good  of  opium  never  was  so  realized  and  appreciated 
as  in  the  military  hospitals  during  the  war. 

Here,  for  instance,  in  this  one  ward,  were  as  many  as 
fifty  patients,  in  every  stage  of  wounds,  fever  and  suffering; 


AT     PEACE.  857 

so  nervous,  so  restless,  so  excitable,  as  not  to  be  able  to  bear 
a  ray  of  light,  or  a  sound  of  noise ;  yet  exposed  to  the 
bright  flaring  of  the  gas-burners ;  to  the  irrepressible 
groans,  tossings  and  complainings  of  their  companions  ;  and 
to  the  necessary  movements  of  the  doctors,  nurses  and  as- 
sistants. 

Think  of  that  you  who,  when  you  have  a  nervous  head- 
ache, cannot  bear  the  light  of  a  taper,  or  the  fall  of  a  foot- 
step in  your  room  at  night. 

Where  silence,  stillness  and  darkness  seemed  the  very 
necessary  conditions  of  life,  these  sufferers  had  only  noise, 
hurry  and  glare.  And  this  was  quite  inevitable  in  the 
crowded  wards.  And  from  these  causes  alone  delirium  and 
death  must  have  often  ensued  but  for  the  benign  influence 
of  opium. 

The  nurses  administered  it  pure,  or  in  combination  with 
such  other  medicines  as  each  case  might  require.  And 
then  the  restless,  irritable  sufferers  ceased  to  disturb  them- 
selves and  others  with  their  tossings  and  groanings ;  and 
with  their  wounds  dressed,  their  heads  cooled,  and  their 
nerves  quieted,  lay  under  their  smoothly  straightened  white 
counterpanes  in  perfect  repose.  And  now  that  the  patients 
were  quiet,  the  nurses  also  were  still,  and  the  gas  was 
turned  low.  And  peace  descended  like  a  blessing  on  the 
place. 

As  Elfie  sat  beside  her  patient,  and  looked  down  along 
the  lines  of  white  beds,  with  their  calm  occupants,  she 
thought  that  there  was  something  of  Heaven  in  the  aspect 
of  the  scene. 

While  she  so  looked,  she  observed  in  the  farthest  corner 
of  the  room,  near  the  last  bed  on  the  opposite  side,  a  group 
gathered. 

She  saw  that  this  group  consisted  of  a  surgeon,  a  chaplain 
and  a  nurse.  Presently  the  chaplain  knelt  by  the  bed,  and 
began  to  pray  in  a  low  tone,  audible  only  to  the  patient  on 
the  bed,  and  the  people  who  stood  around  it. 


858  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  chaplain  arose,  stood  silently  by  the 
patient  for  awhile,  and  then,  with  the  surgeon,  left  the 
ward.  And  the  nurse  drew  the  sheet  up  over  the  face  of 
the  dead. 

And  though  all  passed  so  quietly,  Elfie  knew  that  a 
soldier's  soul  had  departed. 

Some  twenty  minutes  passed  away,  and  then  four  men 
came  in  at  the  lower  door,  with  a  bier,  upon  which  they 
placed  the  mattress  with  the  dead  man,  and  carried  him 
out. 

And  all  this  was  accomplished  silently,  without  disturb- 
ing the  other  patients  in  the  ward. 

The  nurse,  when  her  duties  to  the  dead  were  done,  came 
softly  stepping  up  to  Elfie's  side. 

"  Some  poor  fellow  has  gone  to  his  rest.  Who  was  it  ?  " 
inquired  Elfie. 

"  Poor  young  Carnes,  the  boy  in  whom  Miss  Kosenthal 
was  so  much  interested.  We  have  been  expecting  his 
death  for  many  days.  And  now  he  is  gone.  He  passed 
away  perfectly  conscious  and  perfectly  resigned.  And  he 
left  his  love,  and  his  little  pocket  testament  to  Miss 
Eosenthal,"  said  the  nurse.  And  then  she  went  her  way 
to  her  other  duties. 

Tears  stood  in  Elfie's  eyes. 

"  And  yet  he  is  only  one  among  thousands  and  thousands 
who  have  perished  like  him,  in  the  flower  of  their  youth. 
Oh,  this  war  !  this  war  !  "  she  sighed. 

Then  she  looked  down  upon  her  own  patient.  He  was 
sleeping  peacefully  under  the  influence  of  the  opiate. 

The  hours  passed  quietly  on  towards  midnight.  Elfie 
with  her  hand  held  prisoner  the  hand  of  her  patient,  and 
her  head  resting  on  the  edge  of  his  pillow,  fell  asleep. 

The  nurse  passing  softly  on  her  rounds  of  inspection, 
paused  to  gaze  on  this  scene,  the  poor  mutilated  man  and 
his  weary  wife,  both  sleeping  so  peacefully,  and  so  uncon- 


AT      PEACE.  359 

scious  of  the  danger  that  was  evident  to  the  nurse's  experi- 
ence. 

"Poor  things,"  she  murmured,  "let  them  sleep  while 
they  may." 

Elfie  slept  several  hours.  When  she  awoke  it  was  near 
day.  She  looked  at  her  little  watch  and  saw  that  it  was 
four  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

Her  patient  was  still  sleeping  very  calmly,  although  she 
had,  on  waking  up,  unconsciously  drawn  her  hand  from 
his. 

"  Oh,  he  is  a  great  deal  better  !  a  great  deal  hetter !  He 
will  he  sure  to  get  well !  "  said  Elfie,  gazing  with  satisfaction 
and  thankfulness  upon  the  calmly  sleeping  face. 

She  hathed  her  own  eyes  and  temples  from  a  little  pocket 
flacon  of  cologne  water  to  wake  herself  up  more  effectually, 
and  then  she  sat  cheerfully  watching  for  the  dawn,  and  fre- 
quently looking 'down  upon  the  face  of  her  patient. 

An  hour  more  had  passed  when,  looking  upon  Golds- 
horough's  face,  she  fancied  that  it  had  changed,  and  grown 
paler  and  more  sunken.  While  gazing  intently,  to  he  sure 
she  was  right,  she  hecame  sensible  of  a  sound  of  dull,  soft 
trickling  and  dropping.  Thinking  of  nothing  but  that  her 
jug  might  be  leaking  and  her  lemonade  wasting,  she  hastily 
arose  to  examine  ;  and  her  eyes  fell  upon  a  sight  that  made 
her  senses  reel :  beside  the  bed  was  a  crimson  pool  formed 
from  a  stream  of  blood  that  trickled  and  dropped  from 
under  the  counterpane. 

In  an  instant  Elfie  knew  what  had  happened.  The  hem- 
orrhage had  broken  out  again,  and  the  patient  was  fast 
bleeding  to  death  in  his  opium  sleep. 

Suppressing  the  scream  that  arose  to  her  lips,  Elfie  flow 
noiselessly  down  the  ward  to  the  spot  where  the  nurses 
and  night-watchers  sat,  and  breathlessly  told  them  of  the 
fatality. 

One  of  the  nurses  hastened  out  to  fetch  a  surgeon,  and 
the  other  accompanied  Elfie  back  to  her  patient. 


360  HOW     HE     WON      H3R. 

The  woman  immediately  uncovered  the  stump  of  tha 
mutilated  limh,  and  placing  her  hand  to  the  lips  of  the 
wound,  pressed  them  together  to  stop  the  hemorrhage 
until  the  surgeon  should  arrive. 

The  action  awoke  the  sleeper.  He  gasped  for  breath  and 
stared  around  him  in  bewilderment. 

Eifie  was  already  by  his  side,  with  her  hand  in  his. 
But  his  feeble  hand  had  no  longer  the  power  to  close  on 
hers. 

He  was  dying  fast. 

"  What— has— happened  ?  "  he  panted,  turning  his  eyes, 
wild  with  the  approaching  struggle,  up  to  the  face  of  Elfie. 

"  My  love,  my  love,  it  is  only  your  wound  bleeding  a 
little.  We  will  stop  it  soon,"  she  replied,  in  a  low  and 
soothing  tone,  repressing  all  exhibition  of  the  despair  that 
was  nearly  breaking  her  heart. 

"  I — I  am  dying,  Elfie  !  Pray — pray — for  me,  darling," 
he  gasped. 

Elfie  sank  on  her  knees,  and  spreading  her  arms  ovei 
him,  prayed  fervently : 

"  Oh,  Heavenly  Father,  forgive  him,  forgive,  and  receive 
him  and  bless  him,  for  our  Savior's  sake,"  she  cried  ovei 
and  over  again,  in  the  earnestness  of  her  supplication. 

"  Amen,  Amen,"  he  breathed,  at  every  interval  of  hei 
prayer. 

"  Oh,  my  love,  my  love  !  Christ  will  atone  to  God  for  all 
your  sins.  And  I — I  will  do  all  I  can  to  atone  to  man  1" 
wept  Elfie,  as  she  arose  from  her  knees., 

The  surgeon  came  hurrying  to  the  scene.  But  a  single 
glance  at  the  dying  man  assured  him  that  all  his  own 
medical  skill,  all  the  world's  medical  skill  would  never  suc- 
ceed in  saving  him  now. 

Albert  Goldsborough  turned  his  fading  eyes  on  his  wife, 
and  feebly  tried  to  raise  his  hand.  She  understood  him  and 
bowed  her  head,  and  took  his  hand  and  passed  it  around  hei 
neck. 


AT     PEACE.  361 

t(  Elfie — forgive — forgive — "  he  breathed  and  then  failed. 

"Oh,  my  dear  love,  I  have  nothing  to  forgive,"  she 
wept,  pressing  her  lips  to  his  clammy  brow. 

"Bless  you — Elfie — Bless "  he  panted,  and  stopped. 

His  eyes  glazed  and  his  head  dropped. 

He  was  dead,  in  Elfie's  arms. 

"He  is  gone,  my  dear.  Come  away,"  said  the  gentle 
voice  of  Sister  Agnes,  who  had  come  softly  to  the  side  of 
the  bed. 

Elfie  laid  her  beloved  burden  back  upon  the  pillow,  gazed 
at  the  dead  face  in  unutterable  love  and  grief,  pressed  her 
lips  upon  the  cold  brow,  and  then  turned  and  gave  her  hand 
to  Sister  Agnes,  who  led  her  from  the  room. 

Well  it  was  for  Elfie  that  she  was  not  of  a  temperament 
to  suppress  her  emotions. 

As  soon  as  she  had  reached  the  little  bedroom  in  the 
third  story  she  threw  herself  into  her  friend's  arms  and 
burst  into  a  flood  of  tears." 

The  Sister  of  Mercy,  young  in  years,  but  old  in  her  ex- 
perience of  sorrow,  let  the  mourner  weep  and  sob,  until  she 
had  exhausted  the  violence  of  her  emotions. 

Then  she  led  her  to  one  of  the  beds  and  made  her  lie 
down  upon  it,  and  soothed  her  with  tender  caresses  and 
gentle  words. 

And  then  saying  that  she  would  go  and  send  a  messenger 
for  Miss  Rosenthal,  she  left  Elfie  to  repose. 

It  was  still  very  early  in  the  morning,  just  about  sunrise^ 
when  Erminie  came  in  her  carriage,  in  answer  to  the  sum- 
mons, and  was  shown  immediately  to  the  little  room  occupied 
by  Elfie. 

On  seeing  her  friend,  Elfie  started  up  and  fell  upon 
Erminie's  bosom  and  gave  way  to  another  outburst  of  sor- 
row. 

Erminie  silently  embraced  and  supported  her  until  the 
paroxysm  was  over.  Then  she  made  Elfie  lie  down  again 


362  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

on  her  bed  until  Sister  Agnes  had  brought  up  a  cup  of  tea 
and  a  piece  of  dry  toast,  which  they  persuaded  her  to  take. 

"And  now,  my  dear,"  said  Erminie,  when  Elfie  had 
drained  the  cup,  "you  must  put  on  your  bonnet  and  mantle 
and  return  home  with  me.  The  carriage  is  waiting  at  the 
door." 

"  Oh,  Erminie !  I  cannot — I  cannot  leave  him  here  ! " 
wept  Elfie. 

"  And  you  shall  not,  dear.  I  have  spoken  to  the  surge-on 
in  charge,  and  he  will  speak  to  those  in  authority  and  take 
the  necessary  measures  to  have  the  remains  of  Colonel 
Goldsborough  removed  to  our  house,  where  the  funeral  shall 
be  solemnized,"  said  Miss  Eosenthal. 

"  Oil,  Erminie  !  how  can  I  ever  thank  and  bless  you 
enough  ! "  exclaimed  Elfie. 

The  Lutheran  minister's  orphan  daughter  stooped  and 
kissed  the  sorrowing  girl,  and  then  with  her  own  hands  put 
on  Elfie's  shawl  and  bonnet  and  made  her  ready  for  her 
ride. 

Lastly,  Miss  Rosenthal,  in  a  gracefiil  and  earnest  manner, 
thanked  Sister  Agnes  for  her  kindness  to  Elfie,  and  then 
took  leave. 

When  they  were  in  the  carriage,  Erminie  said : 

"  Grive  yourself  no  uneasiness  about  the  details  of  this  sad 
duty,  Elfie.  I  will  send  for  the  proper  people  and  have 
everything  done  to  your  satisfaction." 

"  Oh,  thanks,  thanks,  with  all  my  heart  and  soul !  "  wept 
Elfie. 

When  they  reached  the  parsonage,  Erminie  made  Elfie 
undress  and  go  to  bed,  and  soon  had  the  comfort  of  seeing 
the  weeping  girl  sob  herself  to  sleep. 

Erminie  sent  for  her  friend,  Dr.  Sales,  and  put  all  the 
arrangements  for  the  funeral  in  his  hands.  And  then  she 
sat  down  and  wrote  a  letter  to  Elfie's  father,  telling  him  all 
that  had  happened,  and  begging  him  to  get  leave  and  come 
to  his  daughter  as  soon  as  possible. 


AT     PEACE. 


363 


This  letter,  as  it  afterwards  appeared,  never  reached 
Major  Fielding,  who  happened  at  the  very  time  of  its  post- 
ing to  be  on  his  way  to  Washington. 

The  funeral  of  Albert  Goldsborongh  took  place  on  Sun- 
day. He  was  interred  in  the  same  burial  ground  where  the 
remains  of  the  deceased  members  of  the  Bosenthal  family 
reposed. 

Elfie  returned  from  the  grave  sorrowful  but  composed, 
and  that  night  she  was  blessed  with  the  first  quiet  sleep 
that  had  visited  her  weary  mind  and  body  since  her  meeting 
with  her  wounded  husband  in  the  hospital. 

On  the  next  day,  Monday,  Elfie,  dressed  in  her  widow's 
weeds,  was  seated  in  the  library,  seeking  comfort  and  guid- 
ance from  the  pages  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  when  she  heard 
the  street  door-bell  ring. 

And  the  moment  after  the  library  door  was  opened,  and 
Major  Fielding  entered  the  room. 

Seeing  a  quiet  little  woman  sitting  there  in  widow's  weeds, 
with  her  fine  hair  concealed  under  a  widow's  cap,  and  know- 
ing nothing  at  all  of  what  had  happened  to  his  daughter 
within  the  last  few  weeks,  the  honest  major  supposed  that 
he  had  made  a  mistake,  and  intruded  upon  one  of  Miss 
Rosenthal's  visitors.  And  with  an — 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Madam  ;  I  was  told  that  I  should 
find  my  daughter  here,"  he  was  about  to  back  out,  when 
Elfie  looked  up,  and  exclaiming: 

"  Papa  !  papa  !  oh,  don't  you  know  me  ?  "  started  up  and 
flung  herself  into  his  arms,  and  sobbing  violently,  clung  to 
him. 

"  Elfie  !  you  !  You  in  this  dress  !  And  weeping  so  ! 
What  is  the  meaning  of  it  all  ?  "  demanded  the  old  soldier, 
in  unbounded  astonishment. 

"  Oh,  papa,  papa  dear,  don't  blame  me,  and — don't  blame 
him,  or  my  heart  will  break  !  "  sobbed  Elfie. 

"  But — what  do  you  mean,  girl  ?  Blame  who  ?  Blame 
what  ?  "  cried  the  major  in  amazement. 


364  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

"  Oh,  papa,  I  couldn't  help  it,  dear,  indeed  I  couldn't ! 
Neither  could  he,"  she  wept. 

"  Help  what  ?  Compose  yourself,  and  explain,  if  you  can, 
girl.  Why  do  you  weep  ?  why  are  you  wearing  this  dress  ?  " 
said  the  major,  sinking  into  the  nearest  chair,  and  drawing 
Elfie  down  upon  his  lap. 

"  Papa,  I  was  carried  off  hy  guerrillas  and  obliged  to 
do  it.  And — indeed,  I  am  not  sorry  I  did  it  now.  And  he 
was  mortally  wounded,  papa,  and  dying  in  the  hospital, 
and  after  all  we  did  love  each  other  so  much,  and  that  was 
how  it  was.  Oh,  papa  dear,  don't  be  angry  with  me,  or  you 
will  kill  me  ! "  said  Elfie,  bursting  into  a  fresh  flood  of  tears. 

"  I  am  not  angry,  but  I  believe  I  am  half  crazed.  Will 
you  tell  me,  Elfie,  why  you  grieve  so  bitterly,  and  why  you, 
who  never  were  a  wife,  should  be  wearing  a  widow's  dress  ?  " 
said  the  patient  veteran. 

"  1  told  you  how  it  was,  papa.  I  told — old  you  how  it 
was.  0,  don't  blame  us,  papa,  or  if  you  must  blame  any- 
body, let  it  be  me.  It  was  all  my  fault.  Don't  blame  him  ; 
he  can't  defend  himself  any  longer.  You  may  rail  at  him, 
but  he  cannot  reply.  His  lips  are  mute  now,  and  the  dust 
lies  on  them,"  cried  Elfie,  breaking  into  hysterical  sobs. 

In  despair  of  gaining  any  clear  information  from  his  dis-' 
tracted  daughter,  Major  Fielding  arose  and  placed  her 
gently  in  the  chair,  and  then  went  and  rang  the  bell. 

Bob  answered  it. 

"  Is  Miss  Eosenthal  in  the  house  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Will  you  ask  her  to  come  here,  if  she  pleases  ?  " 

Bob  disappeared. 

In  a  moment  after  Erminie  entered  and  greeted  Major 
Fielding  with  grave  and  sweet  courtesy. 

"Erminie,  my  dear,  tell  me  the  meaning  of  this.  I  can't 
get  a  coherent  word  out  of  this  hysterical  girl,"  said  Major 
Fielding. 


AT      PEACE.  365 

"But — did't  you  get  my  letter  of  Friday  last?"  in- 
quired Miss  Bosenthal. 

"No,  my  dear;  for  on  Friday  last  I  left  for  Wash- 
ington." 

"  Then  I  have  a  serious  story  to  tell  you,  Major  Field- 
ing; but  I  will  tell  it  as  briefly  as  possible.  Sit  down/' 
said  Miss  Eosenthal. 

Major  Fielding  took  a  chair.  Miss  Eosenthal  seated 
herself;  and  while  Elfie  sobbed  softly  behind  her  pocket 
handkerchief,  and  the  major  listened  attentively,  Erminie 
told  the  story  of  Elfie's  abduction  by  the  guerrillas,  her. 
forced  marriage  to  Albert  Goldsborough,  the  surprise  of  the 
guerrilla  camp  by  the  Federals,  the  defeat  and  death  of  the 
Free  Sword,  and  the  capture  of  Goldsborough,  the  deliver- 
ance of  Elfie,  and  her  subsequent  meeting  with  her  husband 
in  the  hospital,  and  all  that  followed  thereupon. 

"  Oh,  papa !  papa  !  do  not  reproach  me,  dear !  do  not,  or 
my  heart  will  break  ! "  sobbed  Elfie,  as  she  once  again  threw 
herself  into  his  arms. 

"  I  have  no  thought  of  reproaching  you,  my  poor  girl," 
said  the-  gentle  father,  caressing  his  child. 

"  And  do  not  blame  him,  papa  ! — oh,  do  not  blame  him ! 
He  is  dead  now  !  "  she  wept. 

.    "  And  the  dead  are  sacred,  my  girl,"  said  the  major,  gath- 
ering his  child  closer  to  his  bosom. 


366  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

CHAPTEE  XXXIV. 

WING'S    GALLANT    CHARGE. 

"Spare  man  nor  steed,  use  utmost  speed. 

Before  the  pun  goes  down, 
You,  sir,  must  ride."  the  colonel  cried, 

"  As  far  as  Pendletown." 
"Colonel,"  the  brave  young  man  Baith, 

"  To  hear  is  to  obey ! 
Comrades  !  the  path  is  fringed  with  death  I 

Who  rides  with  me  to-day  ?  "— EDSIDJJDUS  SCOTUS. 

EVERY  one  knows  how  hopefully  the  campaign  of  the 
Spring  of  1864  opened.  In  almost  every  engagement  the 
Union  arms  triumphed. 

Colonel  Rosenthal's  regiment  performed  their  parts  of 
duty,  suffered  their  share  of  casualties  and  received  their 
meed  of  glory. 

But  the  glory  of  war  is  inseparable  from  the  gloom  of 
death.  The  regiment  was  decimated.  And  it  had  to  be 
filled  up  with  raw  recruits.  And  Adjutant  Wing,  for 
"  gallant  and  meritorious  conduct,"  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  Captain  and  placed  at  the  head  of  Company  K.  in 
a  position  rendered  vacant  by  the  casualties  of  war. 

At  this  time  the  regiment  was  stationed  at  the  town  of  C. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  day  when  Wing  received  his 
captain's  commission,  he  entered  the  quarters  of  his  colonel, 
and  saluting  him  respectfully,  said  in  a  tone  rather  of 
reproach  than  of  gratitude,  for  he  was  by  no  means  elated  at 
the  change : 

"  I  presume  that  I  have  to  thank  you  for  this  promotion, 
sir  ?  " 

"  Not  so,  adjutant.  I  confess  that  I  am  selfish  enough 
to  desire  always  to  retain  you  at  headquarters.  No — I  had 
nothing  to  do  with  the  affair  beyond  speaking  of  you  as  you 
deserved  in  my  report.  With  a  soldier,  to  hear  is  to  obey, 
Wing.  And  whether  I  like  to  lose  my  adjutant  or  not,  and* 


WING'S     GALLANT     CHARGE.  367 

whether  you  like  to  leave  the  office  or  not,  you  must  assume 
command  of  your  company  before  the  dress-parade  at  sun- 
set," said  Colonel  Rosenthal. 

Wing  bowed  and  left  his  colonel's  presence. 

And  at  the  dress-parade  he  appeared  with  his  captain's 
straps  at  the  head  of  his  company. 

But  if  Wing  was  not  satisfied  with  his  promotion,  neither 
was  his  company  satisfied  with  their  captain.  Apparently 
there  was  no  love  lost  between  them. 

When  the  dress  parade  was  over  and  the  men  at  liberty 
to  rove  over  the  camp  and  gath6r  in  groups  to  smoke  or 
gossip,  the  members  of  company  K  were  heard  to  indulge 
in  mutterings  of  discontent,  not  loud  but  deep.  Before  the 
appointment  of  Wing  as  their  captain,  company  K  had 
been  commanded  by  a  tall,  stalwart,  athletic  first  lieutenant, 
who  was  very  popular  among  the  men.  And  this  circum- 
stance made  the  "baby  adjutant,"  as  they  called  him,  still 
less  acceptable  as  their  captain. 

"  To  put  that  little  fellow  over  us  !  a  mere  lad  !  "  indig- 
nantly growled  Sergeant  Copley. 

"  Looks  like  a  girl  in  boy's  clothes  ! "  grumbled  Corporal 
Bang. 

"  <  Boy,'  <  girl  ?  '  Why  he  is  a  mere  infant ! "  exclaimed 
Corporal  West. 

"  A  mere  threadpaper !  a  mere  cobweb  !  I  wonder  how 
he'll  stand  fire  !  "  laughed  Sergeant  Jones. 

"  I  wonder  what  the  devil  the  Secretary  of  War  could 
have  been  thinking  of!"  muttered  Corporal  Quartz. 

"  I  should  like  to  see  him  in  an  engagement  once  ! "  said 
Copley. 

"  And  so  should  I ! " 

"  And  I !  " — muttered  each  malcontent  in  his  turn. 

For  even  so  freely  would  the  best  disciplined  soldiers  can- 
vass the  characters  of  their  superior  officers,  in  their 
absence. 


368  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

"I'll  tell  you  what,  boys,"  said  Sergeant  Hay,  "you  are 
talking  of  one  you  know  nothing  about.  Captain  Wing  has 
been  in  the  service  less  than  a  year  and  has  already  distin- 
guished himself  on  several  notable  occasions." 

"  Oh  yes !  we  dare  say  he  made  a  very  good  spy  to  creep 
into  guerrilla  camps.  We  heard  all  about  that.  And  no 
doubt  he  was  a  very  fair  accountant  and  kept  the  regimental 
books  in  good  order.  But  we  want  to  see  him  under  fire 
before  we  throw  up  our  caps  and  hurrah  for  him  as  our  cap- 
tain," laughed  West. 

"  He  has  been  under  fire  a  score  of  times  and  never 
blenched.  And  I  can  tell  you  this,  my  comrades  :  When 
you  do  see  him  under  fire,  you  will  see  one  who  will  not 
drive  you  like  sheep,  but  lead  you  like  men.  You  will  see 
one  who  will  not  get  behind  a  tree  during  the  engagement 
and  cry — '  Go  on,  boys  ! '  as  some  of  our  gallant  officers 
have  done ;  but  who  will  dash  on  in  advance  and  shout  to 
you — (  Coins  on,  boys  ! '  And  if  he  does  not  inspire  your 
whole  company  with  valor,  I  know  nothing  of  him." 

"We  shall  see,"  said  Sergeant  Jones,  incredulously. 

"  We  shall  see,"  echoed  the  others. 

Very  soon  they  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing. 

The  next  morning  the  third  battalion  of  the  regiment 
under  Major  Kerr,  the  same  battalion  to  which  Company  K 
belonged,  was  ordered  to  march  to  P.  to  destroy  certain  salt- 
petre works  belonging  to  the  enemy.  P.  was  a  well  forti- 
fied town,  distant  about  forty  miles  from  C.,  and  the  inter- 
vening country  was  infested  with  guerrillas. 

The  orders  were  issued  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
By  half-past  seven  the  battalion  was  under  arms,  with  two 
days'  rations.  And  at  eight  o'clock  they  marched. 

Their  road  lay  for  some  miles  through  the  mountainous 
and  hea-vily  wooded  country  east  of  C.  Then  through  open 
fields  and  meadows,  and  lastly  into  the  depths  of  the  valley 
forest. 


WING'S     GALLANT     CHARGE.  369 

At  noon  they  halted  for  an  hour's  rest  and  refreshment, 
that  men  and  horses  might  be  in.  good  fighting  order  when 
they  should  arrive  at  their  destination. 

Then  they  continued  their  march  until  they  emerged 
from  the  forest  and  entered  upon  the  more  open  country, 
diversified  with  hills  and  valleys,  groves  and  meadows, 
brooks  and  rivers. 

Winding  between  the  hills,  striking  across  the  meadows 
and  fording  the  rivers,  they  at  length  came  in  sight  of  the 
entrenched  saltpetre  works. 

Then  a  momentary  halt  was  called ;  an  order  was  given  ; 
the  bugle  sounded  the  charge,  and  the  whole  cavalry  force 
advanced  at  a  gallop. 

A  fierce  fire  was  immediately  opened  upon  them  from 
behind  the  breastworks. 

In  the  hail  of  bullets  a  man  fell  here  and  there,  and  a 
riderless  horse  bounded  out  of  the  line  of  march  and  rushed 
madly  over  the  plain.  And  these  gallant  men  dashed 
onward  under  that  storm  of  death  to  take  the  works  by 
assault. 

But  presently  a  more  serious  danger  menaced  them.  The 
one  section  of  a  battery  possessed  by  the  rebels  of  this  post 
consisted  of  two  guns.  These  guns  were  now  brought  into 
position  and  trained  so  as  to  bear  directly  upon  the  right 
flank  of  the  approaching  column ;  and  the  first  shot  fired, 
at  so  short  a  distance,  took  fatal  effect,  tearing  its  way 
through,  and  leaving  a  track  of  death  filled  up  with  riders 
and  horses  overthrown,  struggling,  wounded,  mutilated, 
dying,  or  dead. 

"  CAPTAIN  WING  !  advance  with  your  company  and  take 
that  battery  !  "  shouted  the  major  commanding  the  expedi- 
tion. 

For  one  instant  Wing  looked  up  astonished ;  for  the 
order  was  a  desperate  one,  and  the  duty  well  nigh  a  forlorn 
hope. 

23 


370  HOW      HE      WON      II  E  R  . 

Only  for  that  instant  did  Wing  betray  his  amazement. 
Then  lie  fully  verified  the  prediction  of  Hay.  Waving  hia 
sabre  above  his  head  he  shouted  : 

"^.Coine  on,  boys  !  "  put  spurs  to  his  horse  and  dashed  for- 
ward, leading  the  charge. 

What  man  among  them  would  not  have  followed  that 
"  light,  inspired  form,"  to  seek  glory  even  "  in  the  cannon's 
mouth  ?  " 

Like  an  angel  of  destruction  he  rushed  onward,  followed 
by  all  his  men. 

The  enemy,  seeing  this  new  movement,  turned  their  guns 
as  quickly  as  possible  upon  the  charging  party. 

The  first  shot  in  this  direction,  as  on  the  former  occasion, 
tore  its  wa}7  through  the  centre  of  the  advancing  body, 
strewing  mutilated  and  dying  men  and  horses  in  its  track, 
and  leaving  even  those  who  were  unhurt  half  disabled  by 
their  restive  horses. 

They  were  now  approaching  the  battery  by  a  very  broad 
road,  bordered  on  each  side  by  high  wooded  banks. 

An  instant's  hesitation  now  on  the  part  of  Wing  must 
have  been  fatal  to  the  success  of  the  expedition.  But  there 
was  no  such  hesitation. 

"  CLOSE  ON  THE  CENTRE — FORWARD  !  "  came  the  deep, 
sweet,  solemn  tones  of  the  young  leader. 

And  the  men  closed  in  close  columns,  filling  up  the  gap 
torn  by  the  cannon  ball,  and,  over  the  dead  and  dying,  gal- 
loped onward. 

Again  came  the  shot  booming  from  the  battery,  and  ripping 
its  way  through  the  middle  of  the  advancing  column,  scat- 
tering men  and  horses  dead  and  dying  upon  the  ground. 

"  CLOSE  ON  THE  CENTRE — FORWARD  !  "  again  sounded 
the  voice  of  the  young  leader. 

And  again  the  men  filled  up  the  gap  and  galloped  on- 
ward. 

Once   more  a  shot  came  splitting  its   way  through  the 


WING'S     GALLANT     CHARGE.  371 

middle  of  the  column,  strewing  its  patli  with  the  dead  and 
the  dying.     Once  more  came  the  solemn  voice  of  the  leader. 

"  CLOSE    ON    THE    CENTRE FORWARD  !  " 

And  as  before  the  men  closed  up  the  column  and  continued 
the  march. 

A  fourth,  a  fifth,  and  a  sixth  shot  was  fired,  each  with  tre- 
mendous effect. 

And  after  each  was  still  to  be  heard,  like  the  voice  of  an 
inexorable  fate,  the  solemn  tones  of  the  young  leader,  issuing 
his  immutable  order  : 

"  CLOSE  ON  THE  CENTRE FORWARD  !  " 

And  although  their  number  was  reduced  by  the  loss  of  at 
least  one  third  of  their  men,  they  grimly  closed  column  over 
the  dead  and  the  dying,  and  pushed  onward. 

And  in  three  minutes  after  the  sixth  shot  had  been  fired, 
they  were  upon  the  works,  engaged  in  a  stern  hand  to  hand 
conflict  with  the  enemy. 

After  a  short,  sharp  struggle  of  less  than  half  an  hour 
they  took  the  battery,  captured  two  guns,  and  fifty  rounds 
of  ammunition,  and  thirty  prisoners. 

The  way  into  the  town  from  this  quarter  was  now  clear. 
And  Wing  marched  in  at  the  head  of  his  company.  And 
soon  over  the  rebel  works  the  Union  flag  waved  in  triumph. 
About  twenty  minutes  later  Major  Kerr,  at  the  head  of  the 
other  three  companies,  marched  into  the  town.  His  men 
had  suffered  much  under  the  galling  fire  of  musketry  that 
had  opposed  their  entrance  previous  to  Wing's  taking  pos- 
session of  the  town. 

One  captain,  two  lieutenants  and  about  twenty  privates 
were  killed.  And  two  lieutenants  and  about  forty  privates 
were  severely  wounded. 

Major  Kerr  came  up  just  in  time  to  relieve  Captain  Wing 
of  a  certain  responsibility  that  he  always  detested — namely 
the  burning  of  the  town. 

Wing's  taste  was  more  for  fighting  than  for  destruction, 


372  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

and  naturally  Tie  had  taken  the  town,  but  hesitated  to  burn 
it. 

Major  Kerr's  taste  was  more  for  destruction  than  for 
fighting,  therefore  he  had  let  Wing  capture  the  town,  and 
had  followed  him  in  to  destroy  it. 

Wing  pleaded  hard  for  the  salvation  of  private  dwelling 
houses,  but,  in  fact,  it  was  impossible  to  effectually  destroy 
the  saltpetre  works  without  sacrificing  the  whole  town. 

The  women  and  children  were  sent  out  to  a  place  of 
safety.  The  prisoners  were  dispatched  to  the  rear;  and 
then  the  work  of  destruction  commenced. 

And  that  night  witnessed  an  awful  conflagration,  that 
lighted  up  a  vast  amphitheatre  of  country,  and  carried  con- 
sternation as  far  as  its  flames  were  seen. 

And  the  next  morning  the  sun  arose  upon  a  blackened 
and  smoking  mass  of  ruins,  where  once  the  thriving  village 
had  stood. 

The  forenoon  was  employed  by  our  troops  in  burying  the 
dead  and  in  attending  to  the  wounded.  These  last  men- 
tioned were  placed  in  ambulances  to  be  transported  back 
toC. 

And  at  midday  the  battalion  was  under  arms  and  pre- 
pared to  march. 

They  reached  C.  about  nightfall,  carrying  with  them  the 
news  of  the  complete  success  of  the  expedition. 

Major  Kerr  made  a  true  report  of  the  action,  giving 
Captain  Wing  his  just  dues  of  praise. 

And  the  next  morning  Colonel  Kosenthal  sent  for  Wing, 
and  expressed  his  high  approbation  of  that  young  officer's 
heroism. 

"  There  is  not  a  man  in  my  company,  Colonel,  who  does 
not  merit  as  much  praise  as  you  have  kindly  bestowed  upon, 
me,"  answered  Wing  respectfully. 

"And  they  shall  receive  it.  But  the  wonder  to  me  is, 
Wing,  that  you  were  not  hurt,  leading  the  men  as  you  did 


WING'S     GALLANT     CHARGE.  373 

to  that  terrible  charge.  You  were  not  even  slightly 
wounded,  were  you  ?  " 

"Not  even  scratched,  Colonel." 

"  Pray  do  you  wear  a  magic  armor  under  your  uniform, 
Wing  ?  " 

"  Not  that  I  know  of,  Colonel,"  laughed  the  young 
officer. 

"  You  have  been  in  at  least  half  a  dozen  battles,  and 
never  once  been  wounded." 

"  Never  yet,  Colonel.  But  I  have  a  presentiment  that  if 
I  ever  am  struck,  1  shall  not  be  wounded  but  killed,"  said 
the  boy  officer  gravely. 

"  Nonsense,  Wing,  I  don't  believe  in  presentiments.  I 
never  had  a  presentiment  fulfilled  in  my  life,"  laughed  the 
colonel. 

At  that  moment  an  orderly  entered  the  quarters,  saluted, 
and  handed  a  small  sealed  packet  to  his  colonel. 

Colonel  Kosenthal  broke  it  open  and  read  it  hastily, 
changed  color  as  he  never  had  done  on  the  most  fiercely 
fought  battle  field,  and  then  he  passed  the  paper  to  Wing, 
saying : 

"  You  see  it  is  a  telegram  summoning  me  immediately  to 
Washington,  arid  it  must  be  acted  upon  without  delay," 

Wing  also  grew  very  pale  as  he  read  the  dispatch.  He 
returned  it  without  a  word. 

Colonel  Eosenthal  immediately  put  himself  in  communi- 
cation with  the  gent' nil  commanding  his  division,  and  the 
next  day,  having  obtained  a  short  furlough,  left  for  Wash- 
ington. 

A  very  few  hours  after  the  departure  of  Colonel  Kosenthal, 
Captain  Wing  applied  for  ten  days'  leave  of  absence  for  the 
purpose  of  visiting  a  dear  friend  supposed  to  be  at  the 
point  of  death. 

As  this  was  the  first  occasion  upon  which  the  brave 
young  officer  had  made  an  application  of  the  sort>  and  as  he 


374  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

had  so  recently  rendered  a  distinguished  service,  it  was 
promptly  granted  him. 

And  the  next  morning  Wing  also  left  for  Washington. 


CHAPTER  XXXV, 

DEATH   LIGHTS. 

Thy  cheek  too  quickly  flushes,  o'er  thine  eye 

The  shadows  come  and  go  too  fast ; 

Thy  tears  gush  forth  too  soon,  and  in  thy  voice 

Are  sounds  of  tenderness  too  passionate 

?or  peace  on  earth !     Oh,  therefore,  child  of  song, 

'Tis  well  thou  should' st  depart. — II  KM  AN  s. 

IN  the  months  that  had  elapsed  since  Albert  Golds- 
borough's  death,  and  in  the  steady  performance  of  every 
duty,  Elfie  had  recovered  her  serenity  and  cheerfulness. 

The  idea  of  atonement  was  very  strong  in  Elfie,  and 
under  its  influence,  she  devoted  herself  to  the  service  of 
the  sick  and  wounded  soldiers  in  the  hospitals  with  a  zeal 
equal  to  that  of  Erminie. 

"  I  know,"  she  said,  "  that  only  our  Saviour  can  atone  to 
God  for  our  sins.  But  sometimes  we  may  atone  to  man.  I 
will  do  all  I  can  for  the  suffering  soldiers  until  the  war  is 
over.  And  then  if  I  really  do  come  into  the  widow's  share 
of  poor  Albert's  fortune,  I  will  not  appropriate  one  dollar's 
worth  of  it  to  myself.  I  will  give  it  all  to  the  orphans  of 
the  war,  to  the  orphans  of  both  sides,  for  the  children  are 
not  accountable  for  the  actions  of  their  fathers,  and  far  be 
from  us  the  presumption  of  arrogating  to  ourselves  the 
divine  prerogative  of  visiting  the  sins  of  the  fathers  upon 
the  children,"  she  would  add. 

And  Erminie  always  approved  her  plans,  and  encouraged 
her  to  hope  for  their  successful  operation. 

So  the  winter  and  the  spring  months  had  passed,  and  the 


DEATH      LIGHTS.  375 

early  summer  found  the  youthful  widow  serene  and  cheerful 
in  the  discharge  of  her  duties. 

There  was  very  little  to  vary  the  monotony  of  this 
domestic  life. 

Major  Fielding  had  not  been  home  since  the  notable 
occasion  upon  which  his  daughter  had  given  him  such  a 
surprise. 

Justin  was  with  his  regiment  at  C. 

Captain  Ethel  was  in  command  of  the  gunboat  Fire-King, 
on  the  Potomac. 

And  Britomarte  was  in  parts  unknown. 

Yet  letters  from  every  one"  of  these  came  very  often. 

On  one  especial  morning  a  whole  budget  of  news  arrived. 
There  was  one  from  Major  Fielding  to  his  daugher,  announ- 
cing his  speedy  arrival  on  a  short  leave.  There  was  one 
from  Justin  to  his  sister,  filled  with  good  news  of  his  mili- 
tary success  and  his  personal  well-being.  There  was  one 
from  Lieutenant  Ethel,  promising  a  short  visit  to  the  city, 
and  a  call  upon  his  fair  friends  at  the  parsonage.  And  lastly 
there  was  one  from  Britomarte,  postmarked  Baltimore,  and 
filled  with  the  warmest  expressions  of  affection  for  Erminie, 
and  the  most  satisfactory  statements  concerning  her  own 
health  and  success.  But  where  she  was  living,  or  what  she 
was  doing,  remained  unrevealed  secrets. 

Elfie,  to  whom  Erminie  read  the  letter,  screwed  up  her 
mouth,  and  looked  like  "she  could  an'  if  she  would"  "a 
tale  unfold,"  but  she  didn't. 

And  besides,  Elfie  was  interested  in  the  other  letters,  and 
preferred  to  talk  of  them  and  their  subjects — her  father's 
promised  visit,  Justin's  encouraging  successes,  and  even 
3Toung  Ethel's  prospective  call. 

"  It  is  likely  that  pap  and  Etjiel  will  both  be  here  to-day 
or  to-morro\v,  Erminie,  don't  you  think  ?  "  she  inquired. 

Erminie  coincided  with  her  in  opinion. 

That  morning  the  young  ladies  lingered  so  long  over  their 


376  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

breakfast  table  and  their  delightful  letters,  that  it  was  rather 
later  than  usual  when  they  set  off  for  the  hospitals. 

"  The  morning  is  so  delicious  that  we  will  walk,  I  think, 
Elfie,"  said  Miss  Rosenthal,  as  they  emerged  from  the  front 
door. 

"  All  right.     I  would  rather  walk,"  agreed  Elfie. 

And  they  set  out  at  a  brisk  pace. 

"Erminie,  I  always  knew  you  had  a  very  light,  elastic 
step,  but  indeed,  to-day  you  seem  to  walk  with  '  winged  feet,' 
as  Homer  has  it.  And  now  I  look  at  you,  your  cheeks  are 
flushed,  and  your  eyes  are  dancing.  It  is  all  of  a  piece,  and 
all  equally  the  effect  of  those  delightful  letters,  I  do  suppose," 
said  Elfie. 

"  I  do  suppose  it  is.  And  yet  I  do  not  know.  But  cer- 
tainly, though  I  have  always  been  in  good  health,  I  never 
felt  so  well  in  my  life  as  I  do  now.  I  feel  as  if  some  strong, 
divine  elixir  in  my  brains  gave  me  a  new  sense  of  life.  But 
I  am  talking  too  much  of  myself  and  my  own  sensations. 
What  nonsense.  Let  us  speak  of  something  else.  Young 
Ethel.  I  have  a  great  respect  for  that  gallant  young  officer, 
Elfie.  And  if  your  father  comes  to  make  us  any  sort  of  a 
long  visit,  I  shall  invite  Ethel  to  stop  at  the  parsonage,  as 
he  did  during  his  last  sojourn  in  Washington,"  said  Miss 
Eosenthal. 

"  That  will  be  very  agreeable  only  it  will  curtail  us  of 
our  liberties.  No  more  sailing  all  over  the  house,  at  al' 
hours  of  the  day  and  night,  in  our  white  wrappers  and  slip- 
pers," replied  Elfie. 

And  so  chatting,  the  young  ladies  went  on  their  way,  that 
bright  summer  morning,  towards  the  hospital. 

From  ward  to  ward  Erminie  went,  carrying  everywhere 
the  same  bright  smile  that  shoue  with  such  strange,  supernal 
beauty  that  morning. 

And  the  soldiers  whom  she  cheered  and  comforted  said  to 
each  other,  when  she  had  passed  by,  how  she  looked— like 


DEATH      LIGHTS.  377 

an  angel  from  Heaven,  with  the  celestial  light  still  around 
her. 

They  walked  the  rounds  of  three  other  hospitals,  and  then 
Erminie  spoke  of  turning  their  steps  homeward. 

But  Elfie  remonstrated. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what,  Miss  Rosenthal,  you  may  be  exhila- 
rated by  some  divine  elixir,  or  you  may  be  borne  on  by  in- 
visible wings,  but  as  for  me,  I  have  nothing  but  my  mortal 
flesh  and  blood  and  bones  to  uphold  me,  and  I  am  just  so 
tired  that  my  limbs  are  ready  to  bend  under  me,  and  my 
back  aches  as  if  I  were  a  hundred  years  old,"  she  said. 

"  Under  these  circumstances  we  must  take  a  carriage,  I 
suppose,"  smiled  Erminie. 

And  the  carriage  was  called,  and  they  drove  home. 

Erminie  did  not  go  out  again  to  the  hospitals  that  after- 
noon. 

She  was  expecting  a  small  party  of  friends  to  take  tea  and 
spend  the  evening,  and  it  was  necessary  to  make  some  pre- 
parations for  them. 

So  after  an  early  luncheon  Erminie  and  Elfie  began  to 
gather  flowers  to  decorate  the  drawing-room,  and  the 
dining  room  and  library. 

"  My  pap  is  very  fond  of  company.  I  hope  he  will  arrive 
this  evening.  It  would  be  such  a  pleasant  surprise  for  him 
to  meet  a  party  of  his  friends  here,"  said  Elfie,  as  she 
arranged  a  large  bush  of  odorous  magnolia-grandiflora  to 
sit  on  the  drawing-room  hearth. 

"  I  think  it  quite  likely  that  your  hopes  will  be  realized, 
Elfie,"  answered  Erminie,  who  was  delicately  placing  a  bou- 
quet of  lilies  and  roses  in  a  vase  for  the  centre  table. 

When  their  preparations  were  completed,  Elfie  saun- 
tered up  to  her  room  to  lie  down  and  indulge  in  her  usual 
afternoon  nap. 

But  Erminie  went  to  inspect  the  condition  of  her  pastry, 
and  to  order  certain  fresh  delicacies  prepared  for  the  evening 


378  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

feast.  And  then  she  called  her  housemaid,  and  went  up 
stairs,  and  had  the  rooms  she  intended  to  assign  to  Major 
Fielding  and  Captain  Ethel  arranged  under  her  own  eyes 
for  the  reception  of  their  inmates. 

When  Elfie  awoke  from  her  sleep  she  found  Erminie 
still  actively  engaged. 

"'My  heyes ! '  as  the  cockneys  say,  what  has  come  to 
you,  Ermiuie  ?  You  have  heen  on  your  feet  the  whole  day. 
You  have  walked  twenty  miles  at  least,  if  the  ground  you've 
gone  over  was  all  stretched  out  in  a  line ;  and  you  have 
heen  hard  at  work  ever  since  you  got  home,  and  you  look  as 
fresh  and  brilliant  as  a  blush  rose  with  the  morning  dew 
upon  it.  Really,  now,  aint  you  tired  ?  "  inquired  Elfie,  as 
she  entered  the  dining-room  where  Erminie  was  decorating 
the  tea-table. 

"Not  in  the  least,"  said  Miss  Rosenthal,  smiling  brightly. 
"  But  now,  my  dear  Elfie,  it  is  time  for  us  to  dress  ourselves. 
Our  friends  will  come  early  because  the  summer  evenings 
are  so  short." 

Elfie  yawned  dismally. 

"  Now  I  haven't  been  half  so  hard  at  work  as  you  have, 
and  I  have  had  a  good  nap  besides,  and  yet  I  feel  more  like 
lolling  in  a  rocking  chair  than  putting  myself  into  an  even- 
ing dress,"  she  said,  as  she  sauntered  away  to  make  her 
toilet. 

An  hour  later,  just  as  the  sun  set,  leaving  a  clear,  beauti- 
ful twilight,  Ermiuie  and  Elfie  met  in  the  drawing-room  to 
wait  for  the  coming  of  their  company. 

Elfie  looked  very  pretty  in  her  thin,  black  grenadine 
dress,  with  jet  jewelry,  and  the  little  cap  of  white  illusion 
that  contrasted  so  well  with  her  raven  hair. 

But  Erminie  looked  dazzlingly  beautiful — not  from  the 
effect  of  her  toilet,  for  nothing  could  be  cooler  or  quieter 
than  her  dress — a  pure  white  grenadine,  embroidered'  in 
sprigs  of  black  silk,  and  trimmed  with  white  lace  and  black 


DEATH      LIGHTS.  379 

ribbon.  It  was  her  face,  her  countenance,  that  was  so  radi- 
ant. Her  cheeks  and  lips  were  flushed  with  a  bright  carna- 
tion color ;  her  eyes  were  sparkling  with  animation ;  even 
her  auburn  hair  seemed  to  glitter  with  a  sort  of  electric 
splendor. 

Elfie  gazed  on  her  in  wonder  and  admiration. 

"  Well,  Erminie,  you  were  always  indisputably  beautiful ; 
but  now —  Well,  there  !  You  almost  alarm  me  !  You 
look  as  if  there  was  some  inward  glory  shining  through  you 
and  making  your  earthly  beauty  heavenly  !  "  she  said. 

"  Nonsense,  love !  Don't  you  turn  flatterer,  or  I  shall 
lose  my  respect  for  you,"  laughed  Erminie. 

"Flatterer !  There  !  look  in  the  glass  and  see  for  yourself 
whether  I  have  flattered  you!  Come,  it  is  still  light  enough 
for  you  to  see,  or  if  it  is  not,  you  will  make  the  light ! "  said 
Elfie,  turning  her  friend  forcibly  around  to  face  the  tall  pier 
glass  that  stood  between  the  two  back  windows. 

"  Absurd  !  I  am  in  good  health  and  good  spirits — that 
is  the  whole  secret,"  said  Miss  Rosenthal,  laughing  and 
blushing,  and  breaking  away  from  the  too  ardent  admiration 
of  Elfie. 

And  at  that  moment  the  first  bevy  of  visitors  arrived, 
and  little  Mini  and  his  four  little  maiden  aunts  were  shown 
into  the  drawing-room. 

Erminie  received  her  visitors  with  courtesy,  but  Elfie 
welcomed  them  with  effusion. 

Erminie  entertained  Mr.  Mim  in  the  drawing-room,  while 
Elfie  took  the  four  Misses  Mim  up  stairs  to  lay  off  their 
bonnets  and  put  on  their  head  dresses. 

The  next  party  that  arrived  consisted  of  Mr.  Billingcoo, 
his  grandmother,  and  his  guitar. 

And  the  old  lady  was  shown  up  stairs  to  the  dressing- 
room  where  she  found  the  Misses  Mini  with  Elfie. 

After  them  came  other  friends  of  the  family ;  and  by 
seven  o'clock  the  whole  company  was  assembled,  and  enjoy- 


380  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

ing  themselves  by  sauntering  through  the  moonlit  walks  of 
the  beautiful  grounds  in  the  rear  of  the  house. 

"  I  am  expecting  Major  Fielding  this  evening,"  said 
Erminie  to  little  Mim,  who  was  walking  by  her  side. 

"  I  am  so  glad  to  hear  that.  I  always  had  the  greatest 
respect  for  Major  Fielding,  as  well  as  for — for  his  daughter 
— and  for  all  the  ladies  !  " 

Little  Mim,  whenever  he  was  betrayed  into  any  expres- 
sion of  admiration  or  regard  for  EJfie,  invariably  added  "  all 
the  ladies  "  as  a  saving  clause.  Now,  however,  though  he 
walked  and  talked  with  Erminie,  his  eyes  and  his  thoughts 
followed  Elfie  as  she  sauntered  on  in  front  of  them  by  the 
side  of  Dr.  Sales. 

"  They  both  reciprocate  your  regard,  I  am  very  sure," 
said  Erminie,  kindly. 

"  Miss  Kosenthal,"  said  the  little  fellow  solemnly,  "  when 
I  learned  all  in  a  moment  that  she  was  married  and 
widowed,  you  might  have  floored  me  with  a  feather.  I  beg 
your  pardon  for  using  a  slang  phrase,  but  there  is  nothing 
that  can  so  well  express  the  effect  the  news  had  upon  me. 
And  even  now  I  can't  seem  to  get  over  it.  And  when 
I  think  of  what  she  used  to  be,  and  look  at  her  now  in  her 
widow's  dress,  it  seems  as  if  I  could  not  recognize  her  for 
herself.  It  is  just  as  if  some  splendid  oriole  was  suddenly 
changed  into  a  blackbird,"  he  said,  with  a  profound  sigh. 

"The  mere  effect  of  her  dress,  Mr.  Mim.  Elfie  is  still 
herself.  Naturally,  she  grieved  over  the  tragic  death  of 
Albert  Goldsborough,  yet  not  so  bitterly  as  she  had  grieved 
over  the  treason  that  separated  them  as  lovers  three  years 
ago.  It  was  then  that  the  iron  entered  the  soul  of  Elfie. 
But  she  bas  been  stronger  ever  since." 

"She  is  a  heroic  girl !— And  so  are  all  the  ladies!" 
answered  little  Mim,  tempering  enthusiasm  with  prudence. 

"  Well !  Well !  Where  are  you  all  ?  And  who  is  com- 
ing to  welcome  me  ?  "  called  out  the  cheery  voice  of  Majo* 
Fielding,  issuing  from  the  back  porch  of  the  house. 


DEATH      LIGHTS.  381 

With  a  cry  of  joy,  Elfie  dropped  the  arm  of  Dr.  Sales, 
turned  and  sprang  past  all  her  friends,  and  darted  up  the 
gravel  walk  to  meet  her  fti'her,  and  threw  herself  into  his 
arms. 

Erminie  followed  her  to  welcome  the  veteran. 

"  And  here  is  a  stranger  I  have  brought  with  me  !  Cap- 
tain Ethel!  Bless  you,  I  found  him  on  the  wharf!  con- 
scripted him,  and  made  him  come,"  heartily  exclaimed  the 
major,  doing  three  or  four  things  at  the  same  time — kissing 
his  daughter,  shaking  hands  with  his  hostess,  and  present- 
ing his  friend. 

"I  am  delighted  to  see  you,  Major  Fielding,  and  I  thank 
you  cordially  for  bringing  our  frjphd  with  you  !  Captain 
Ethel,  I  congratulate  you  on  your  new  promotion/'  said 
Miss  Rosenthal,  warmly  welcoming  her  guest. 

Young  Ethel  bowed  low  in  acknowledgment  of  those 
courteous  words;  and  then  he  offered  Erminie  his  arm; 
and  they  followed  Major  Fielding  and  his  daughter,  who 
had  preceded  them,  down  the  garden  walk. 

Major  Fielding  was  surprised  and  pleased  to  meet  so 
many  of  his  old  friends,  and  he  insisted  on  believing  that 
they  had  come  purposely  to  meet  him. 

Captain  Ethel  was  duly  presented  to  such  of  the  company 
as  were  not  personally  known  to  him. 

And  then,  as  the  evening  air  was  growing  damp,  the 
company  adjourned  form  the  garden  to  the  house,  where  tea 
was  soon  served. 

After  tea  they  went  into  the  lighted  drawing-room,  where 
Mr.  Billingcoo  entertained  the  ladies  with  some  of  his  best 
songs,  accompanying  himself  upon  his  guitar. 

And  when  he  had  tired  himself  and  his  audience,  Erminie 
delighted  her  friends  with  some  of  her  finest  music  on  the 
pianoforte. 

But  Erminie's  radiant  and  dazzling  beauty  was  the  one 
theme  of  wonder  and  admiration  among  her  guests.  The 


382  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

almost  divine  splendor  of  that  beauty  had  escaped  their 
observation  in  the  moonlit  garden  ;  but  now  in  the  lighted 
drawing-room  it  struck  them  with  something  like  amaze- 
ment. 

"How  lovely  Miss  Rosenthal  looks  this  evening!  I 
never  in  my  life  saw,  or  even  imagined  anything  so  bril- 
liantly beautiful  as  her  face,"  said  sober  Dr.  Sales  to  old 
Major  Fielding. 

"  Yes !  I  have  been  watching  her.  She  always  was  a 
perfect  beauty,  you  know  !  but  now  she's  a  perfect  angel ! " 
answered  the  major. 

And  unconscious  of  the  admiration  she  was  exciting, 
Erminie  played  and  sang  unweariedly. 

When  she  arose  from  the  piano,  old  Mrs.  Billingcoo  went 
to  her  side,  and  looking  at  her  attentively,  said  : 

"  Your  cheeks  and  lips  are  like  scarlet  roses,  my  love ! 
and  your  eyes  are  like  diamonds  ! — Are  you  sure  you  are 
quite  well?" 

Erminie's  silvery  laugh  rang  out  clearly  and  joyously,  and 
almost  startlingly,  from  her  who  was  always  so  quiet. 

"  My  dear  Mrs.  Billingcoo,  I  never  felt  so  well  in  my  life  ! 
Like  Wordsworth's  little  maid,  I  feel  my  '  life  in  every 
limb ' !  "  she  said.  And  she  immediately  left  the  room  to 
order  ice  cream  and  strawberries,  for  the  refreshment  of  her 
guests. 

A  little  later  in  the  evening,  when  the  company  was 
thinking  of  breaking  up,  Miss  Susy  Mini,  watching  Erminie, 
said: 

"  I  am  sure  Miss  Eosenthal  is  keeping  up  by  great  effort ! 
I  wonder  if  she  hasn't  been  taking  ammonia  or  some- 
thing ! " 

"  Ammonia !  "  indignantly  exclaimed  Elfie.  "  Erminie 
never  takes  anything  of  that  sort ! " 

"  Then  what  makes  her  looks  so  ?  And  what  makes  her 
act  so  ?  Her  cheeks  are  blooming  like  roses,  and  her  eyea 


DEATH      LIGHTS.  383 

are  sparkling  like  gems  !  And  her  spirits  are  running  away 
with  her  !  It  ain't  natural,  say  what  you  will !  And  if  she 
hasn't  been  taking  ammonia,  or  if  she  isn't  putting  all  this 
on,  she's  in  danger." 

"  In  danger  !  "  echoed  Eifie,  in  alarm. 

"  Yes,  child  ! " 

"  Of  what  ?  " 

"  Fever ! " 

"  Nonsense,  Miss  Susy,  you  are  always  trying  to  frighten 
one  !  Danger  ?  Fever  ?  Why,  Erminie  has  been  looking 
and  acting  just  this  way  all  day  !  Only  growing  more  bril- 
liant and  beautiful  every  hour,"  said  Elfie,  angrily — and  all 
the  more  so  because  she  seeretty  shared  Miss  Susy's  fears. 

"  Well,  my  dear,  I  hope  I'm  wrong.  But  at  any  rate,  I 
think  that  we  had  all  better  go  home,  especially  as  it  is 
nearly  midnight.  And  when  we  are  gone  you  had  better 
get  Miss  Biosenthal  to  bed  as  soon  as  possible." 

And  so  saying,  Miss  Susy  proceeded  to  act  upon  her  own 
words,  by  setting  the  example  of  departure. 

The  other  guests  followed  in  turn.  And  at  a  few  minutes 
after  twelve  the  company  had  all  gone,  with  the  exception, 
of  course,  of  Major  Fielding,  who  was  to  remain  ;  and  Cap- 
tian  Ethel,  who  Erminie  insisted  should  stay. 

At  a  hint  dropped  by  Elfie,  these  two  gentlemen  soon 
took  the  bed-room  candles  that  were  ready  for  them,  and 
bade  good  night  to^ their  hostess.  , 

"  Are  you  tired,  Erminie  ?  "  anxiously  inquired  Elfie,  as 
she  paused  for  a  moment  at  the  bed-room  door  of  her 
friend. 

"  Tired  ?     No !  not  in  the  least,"  laughed  Erminie. 

"  Are  you  sure  ?  "  persisted  Elfie. 

"  Why,  of  course  I  am  !  I  tell  you  I  never  felt  so  well 
in  my  life." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it ;  and  I  wont  detain  you.  Good 
night,"  said  Elfie,  kissing  her  friend  and  noticing  with 
wonder  the  still  undimmed  splendor  of  her  beauty. 


384  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

"  Good  night,"  smiled  Ermiuic,  vanishing  through  the 
door. 

Elfie  went  on  to  her  own  chamber,  and  as  soon  as  her 
head  touched  the  pillow  fell  fast  asleep. 

Elfie  slept  late  the  next  morning,  so  late,  in  fact,  that  she 
was  at  last  awakened  by  Catherine,  who  came  to  her  with  a 
scared  face,  roused  her  and  said  : 

"  If  you  please,  ma'am,  I  wish  you  would  come  to  Miss 
Rosen  thai ! " 

"  Erminie  !  what's  the  matter  with  her  ? "  exclaimed 
Elfie,  starting  up  in  -alarm. 

"  Indeed  I  don't  know,  ma'am ;  but  she  is  very  ill ;  and 
seems  to  be  raving  mad." 

Elfie  sprang  out  of  bed,  threw  on  a  dressing-gown,  thrust 
her  naked  feet  into  slippers,  and  ran  at  once  to  the  chamber 
of  Erminie. 

There  upon  the  bed  lay  the  good  and  beautiful  girl,  un- 
conscious of  all  that  was  passing  around  her,  and  rolling 
and  raving  with  fever  and  delirium. 

In  the  extremity  of  terror,  Elfie  ran  down  just  as  she  was, 
to  the  library,  where  her  father  was  sitting  alone  waiting 
for  his  breakfast. 

Breathlessly  she  told  him  what  had  happened,  and  dis- 
patched him  to  get  a  physician,  saying  that  he  could  get 
one  more  quickly  than  a  servant  could. 

Then  she  hurried  back  to  her  tossing  and  raving  friend. 

In  half  an  hour  the  family  physician  arrived.  After 
making  a  careful  examination  of  his  patient,  he  came  out 
of  the  room  and  sought  Major  Fielding. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  her  ?  "  anxiously  inquired  the 
major. 

"  Telegraph  for  her  brother  immediately,"  answered  the 
doctor. 

His  orders  were  obeyed,  and  the  same  morning  the  mes- 
sage was  flashed  along  the  wires  that  was  to  bring  Justin  to 
the  bedside  of  his  beloved  sister. 


THE     DEATH      WATCH.  385 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

THE    DEATH   WATCH. 

He  came,  with  that  disheartening  fear, 

Which  all  who  love  beneath  the  sky 

Feel  when  they  gux.e  on  what  is  clear— 

The  dreadful  thought  that  it  must  die  ! 

That  desolating  thought  which  comes 

Into  men's  happiest  hours  and  homes, 

Whose  melancholy  boding  flings 

Death's  shadow  o'er  the  brightest  things, 

Sicklies  the  maiden's  bloom,  and  spreads 

The  grave  beneath  young  lovers'  heads  !— MOORE. 

BY  the  agency  of  the  powerful  medicines  administered, 
Erminie's  high  excitement  was  calmed.  The  beautiful, 
tossing  arms  were  stilled,  and  lay  lightly  resting  on  the 
coverlet.  The  fiery  flush  died  out  of  her  cheeks,  the  terri- 
ble light  softened  in  her  eyes,  and  her  lovely  face,  now 
white  and  motionless  as  marble,  lay  reposing  in  perfect 
peace  upon  her  pillow. 

Elfie  watched  on  one  side  of  her  bed,  and  Catherine  on 
the  other. 

Major  Fielding  and  Captain  Ethel  forbore  to  go  out,  even 
for  a  walk.  In  their  keen  anxiety  for  the  patient,  and  their 
earnest  desire  to  render  assistance  should  their  services 
be  required,  they  remained  in  the  library,  reading  or  pre- 
tending to  read,  but  really  listening  and  watching  for  every 
sound  and  sight  that  could  suggest  anything  relative  to  the 
condition  of  Erminie. 

Dr.  Burney  came  three  times  in  the  course  of  that  day. 

Major  Fielding  and  his  daughter  asked  the  physician 
many  questions  concerning  the  nature  of  the  sufferer's  ill- 
ness, and  the  chances  of  her  recovery,  and  they  received 
answers  from  him  which  were  intended  to  be  encouraging, 
but  which  were  really  depressing. 

Miss  Eosenthal's  brain  and  nervous  system  were  very 
much  affected,  he  said.  The  disease  was  paroxysmal  in  its 
24 


886  HOW     HE     WON      HER,, 

tendency.  She  was  now  composed,  and  if  a  reaction  into 
fever  and  delirium  could  be  prevented,  she  would  do  well. 

This  was  all  the  satisfaction  they  could  get  from  her 
medical  attendant. 

Ah,  "if." 

Every  means,  short  of  drugging  her  into  the  sleep  of 
death  with  sedatives  and  opiates,  were  taken  to  prevent  a 
relapse  into  her  fearful  frenzy. 

Elfie  sat  by  the  bed  all  night,  and  administered  all  the 
medicines  with  her  own  hands,  and  kept  ice  to  the  head  and 
mustard  to  the  feet  and  wrists  of  her  patient. 

But  all  this  was  in  vain,  or  attended  with  only  a  partial 


Towards  midnight  Erminie's  cheeks  and  lips  began  to 
flush  ;  she  moved  restlessly,  and  muttered  in  her  sleep. 

Elfie  renewed  the  medicine,  the  ice  and  the  mustard,  but 
with  little  effect. 

The  evil  symptoms  increased  rapidly,  and  before  morning 
Erminie  was  again,  with  blazing  eyes  and  burning  cheeks, 
raving  and  tossing  in  an  agony  of  fever  and  frenzy. 

In  the  extremity  of  terror  Elfie  dispatched  first  her 
father  and  then  Captain  Ethel,  who  were  both  watching  the 
night  out  in  the  library,  to  fetch  the  physician. 

But  Dr.  Burney  happened  to  be  with  a  lady  patient  whom 
he  could  not  leave  abruptly,  and  so  it  followed  that  the  sun 
rose  before  he  made  his  appearance  by  Erminie's  bedside. 

A  fearful,  a  terrible  vision,  met  him  there.  The  beautiful 
and  angelic  girl  seemed  to  be  turned  into  a  raging  and 
foaming  demoniac;  and  it  required  the  united  efforts  of  Elfie 
and  Catharine  to  hold  her  down  on  her  bed. 

Violent  remedies  had  to  be  resorted  to  now  to  allay  the 
frightful  cerebral  excitement — cupping,  leeching  and  bleed- 
ing were  tried  in  turn;  and  in  reducing  the  sufferer  to 
calmness,  they  almost  reduced  her  to  death. 

And  her  medical  attendant  knew,  and  her  anxious  friend 


THE     DEATH     WATCH.  387 

feared,  that  as  the  second  attack  of  frenzy  had  heen  more 
violent  than  the  first,  so  the  third  attack  must  be  the  most 
violent,  and  would  prohably  end  in  death. 

Thus  the  approaching  night  was  anticipated  in  horrible 
dread. 

Meanwhile  Erminie  lay  in  the  collapse  of  exhaustion — 
pale  and  faded  as  a  broken  lily — without  motion,  speech,  or 
color,  almost  without  blood,  breath,  or  life. 

From  time  to  time  Elfie,  weeping  and  watching,  moistened 
the  poor  girl's  lips  with  a  little  melted  ice. 

Towards  evening  there  seemed  to  be  a  change.  Erminie 
moved  and  sighed.  And  then  opened  her  eyes  and  breathed. 

Elfie  bent  over  her. 

"  Why "  began  Erminie,  and  then  she  ceased. 

Elfie  bent  lower,  and  softly  inquired : 

"  What  is  that  you  say,  dear  ?  " 

"  Why — am  I — "  again  commenced  Erminie,  with  an 
effort ;  but  again  her  voice  failed  for  weakness. 

"  Why  are  you  here  in  bed,  do  you  mean  to  ask,  dear  ?  " 
suggested  Elfie.  . 

Erminie  nodded. 

"  You  over-exerted  yourself  and  have  had  an  attack  of 
illness ;  but  you  are  better  now — much  better,  thank 
Heaven,"  answered  Elfie,  cheerfully. 

"  How — bloodless — they — "  panted  Erminie,  looking  with 
surprise  at  her  pale  fingers,  and  speaking  in  the  feeble  and 
pointless  way  common  with  persons  affected  as  she  was,  and 
breaking  down  before  she  finished  her  sentence. 

"  They  were  always  very  white,  you  know,  dear,  those 
fair  fingers,"  said  Elfie,  encouragingly. 

"  No — rosy — rosy-tipped — "  murmured  Erminie,  who, 
when  she  had  been  well  in  mind  and  body,  had  been  with^ 
out  the  least  vanity. 

"  So  they  will  be  again,  dear.  Never  mind  your  fingers. 
Will  you  try  to  swallow  a  teaspoonful  of  this  arrow -root  ?  " 
coaxed  Elfie. 


388  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

Erminie,  apparently  only  to  please  her  nurse,  nodded 
assent  and  opened  her  mouth  like  a  bird  to  receive  the  atom 
of  nourishment.  But  the  effort  was  too  much  for  her  weak- 
ness, and  when  she  had  swallowed  it  she  gulped,  shuddered 
and  shook  her  head  in  refusal  of  anything  more. 

After  a  little  while  she  raised  her  eyes  so  wistfully  to  her 
nurse  that  Elfie  bent  down  over  her  to  hear  what  she  might 
have  to  say. 

"How — long — have "    breathed    Erminie,    faintly, 

breaking  off. 

"  How  long  have  you  been  ill,  do  you  mean,  dear  ?  Only 
since  the  day  before  yesterday,"  replied  Elfie. 

"What  makes — so  weak  ?  "  panted  Erminie. 

"  Only  your  illness  ;  but  you  are  better  now,  and  you  will 
soon  be  strong  again." 

«  You — think— so  ?  " 

"  I  know  so,  dearest.  But  you  must  not  fatigue  yourself 
by  talking  so  much.  Try  to  sleep." 

And  before  Elfie  had  well  spoken  this  advice,  Erminie 
had  dropped  as  suddenly  into  sleep  as  a  stone  falls  into  a 
well. 

But  this  sleep  was  not  quiet  like  the  preceding  one. 

As  evening  approached  the  sleeper  became  restless  :  toss- 
ing her  limbs  about,  rolling  her  head,  and  rolling  her  eyes, 
and  muttering  in  approaching  delirium. 

But  why  should  I  repeat  the  horrors  of  that  second 
night  ?  It  was  but  a  reproduction  of  those  of  the  first 
one.  , 

Again  desperate  remedies  were  applied  to  meet  violent 
symptoms.  And  again  the  frenzy  was  subdued  to  quiet- 
ness, but  the  sufferer  meanwhile  brought  nearly  to  dissolu- 
tion. And  her  medical  attendant  might  well  have  said, 
with  the  conqueror  of  old : 

"  Another  such  a  victory  and  I  am  ruined." 

By  noon  next  day  Erminie  lay  in  sleep  or  stupor,  with 


THE     DEATH     WATCH.  389 

scarcely  a  sign  of  life  in  her  aspect,  with  scarcely  a  hope  of 
life  in  prospect. 

Elfie  was  forced  to  leave  her  for  a  few  hours,  that  she— 
Elfie — might  recruit  herself  with  a  bath  and  a  nap. 

But  early  in  the  afternoon  the  faithful  girl  was  again  by 
the  bedside  of  her  friend. 

To  her  surprise  she  thought  she  saw  symptoms  of  a 
favorable  change. 

Erminie  was  breathing  softly.  She  opened  her  eyes,  and 
seeing  Elfie,  tried  to  put  out  her  hand. 

Elfie  took  that  pale  hand  and  kissed  it,  and  then  stooped 
and  kissed  the  still  paler  brow. 

«  Elfie  !  "  breathed  the  sick  girl. 

"  What  is  it,  dearest  ?  " 

"Must  I die?" 

"Nonsense,  no,  my  dear,  you  are  in  no  sort  of  danger." 

Erminie  smiled  sadly  and  turned  away  her  eyes. 
Presently  her  lips  moved  as  if  she  would  have  spoken,  and 
Elfie  stooped  to  hear. 

«  I  Want " 

"  What,  dear  Erminie  ?  " 

"  — My  pastor — please." 

"  I  will  send  for  him,  dear  Erminie." 

"  Soon now  !  "  panted  the  sinking  girl. 

"  Yes,  now,  dearest,  you  shall  have  him,"  said  Elfie,  who 
beckoned  to  Catherine  to  take  her  place  at  the  bedside  ;  and 
then  left  the  room  to  have  the  wish  of  her  friend  gratified. 

Dr.  Sales,  the  beloved  and  venerated  pastor  of  the 
Rosenthal  family  had,  since  her  father's  death,  stood  in  a 
father's  position  towards  Erminie. 

With  the  deepest  distress  he  had  heard  of  that  good  girl's 
illness.  He  had  called  every  day  to  sfttf  3r  or  to  aak  after 
her. 

He  had  not  yet  been  permitted  to  make  his  presence 
known  to  her.  But  once  or  twice,  while  she  lay  in  stupor, 


390  HOW      HE     WON     HEK. 

he  had  stood  over  her  unconscious  form,  gazing  anxiously 
down  on  her  death-like  face ;  or  he  had  knelt  beside  her  bed, 
praying  silently  for  her  recovery. 

It  was,  therefore,  without  surprise  that  Elfie,  when  she 
went  down  stairs,  found  the  pastor  waiting  in  the  hall. 

"  Oh,  Dr.  Sales,  I  am  so  glad  to  see  you !  I  had  just 
come  down  to  send  for  you,"  she  eagerly  exclaimed. 

"  How  is  our  dear  child  this  morning  ?  "  anxiously  in- 
quired the  pastor. 

Elfie  burst  into  tears. 

"  Worse  ?  "  breathlessly  demanded  the  old  man. 

"  Oh,  how  can  I  tell  you  ?  Heaven  only  knows !  Her 
last  paroxysm  of  fever  and  delirium  was  less  violent ;  but 
then  such  powerful  depletives  have  been  used ;  and  it  has 
left  her  weak  almost  unto  death.  But  she  is  conscious  now, 
and  has  asked  for  you." 

"  Can  you  show  me  at  once  into  her  room  ?  " 

"  Oh  yes,  come,"  said  Elfie,  softly  leading  the  way  up- 
stairs and  into  Erminie's  chamber. 

Catherine  still  sat  beside  the  bed  fanning  the  sinking 
girl,  who  had  again  suddenly  dropped  into  sleep  or  stupor ; 
— it  was  impossible  to  say  which. 

"  You  will  not  disturb  her  ?  "  whispered  Elfie,  anxiously. 

"  Certainly  not.  I  will  sit  here  quietly  until  she  awakens 
or  returns  to  consciousness,"  replied  the  pastor,  in  a  low 
tone. 

At  a  sign  from  Elfie  the  girl  Catherine  arose  and  left  the 
room.  And  the  pastor  seated  himself  in  the  vacant  chair, 
and  took  the  palm  leaf  and  fanned  Erminie,  while  he  watched 
for  her  awakening. 

And  the  room  Was  very  cool,  shady,  and  quiet,  and  so  the 
sleeper  lay  calmly  Deposing  for  nearly  an  hour,  and  then  she 
softly  opened  her  eyes  and  looked  with  a  gentle,  bewildered 
gaze  upon  the  figure  of  the  preacher  seated  by  her  bed. 

"  Do  you  know  me,  my  child  ?  "  whispered  the  pastor. 


THE      DEATH     WATCH.  391 

She  feebly  moved  her  hand  and  smiled. 

"  You  sent  for  me,  dear  child,"  went  on  Dr.  Sales. 

She  nodded,  and  then  turned  her  eyes  anxiously  towards 
Elfie,  who  came  and  bent  down  to  hear  what  Erminie  should 
have  to  say. 

"  Something  to  give  me — "  Erminie  panted  and  stopped. 

— "  Strength,  do  you  mean,  my  dear  ?  "  inquired  Elfie. 

Erminie  nodded. 

Elfie  poured  out  some  liquid  from  a  vial  into  a  spoon  and 
put  it  to  her  lips. 

Erminie  swallowed  with  difficulty,  but  seemed  to  be  revived 
by  the  dose. 

"  Now,  dear,  go — and  leave  me — with  my  pastor — please," 
she  murmured. 

And  Elfie  gave  the  purport  of  these  words  to  the  pastor, 
and  then  left  the  room. 

Erminie  turned  her  fading  eyes  upon  the  anxious  face  of 
her  old  friend. 

He  stooped  over  her  to  hear  what  she  might  wish  to 
say. 

"  Dear  friend,  must  I  die  ?  "  she  whispered. 

"  I  pray  not — I  earnestly  pray  not,  my  child,"  answered 
the  pastor,  with  ill-suppressed  emotion. 

"  But  you  believe  that  I  must." 

«  No,  no—" 

"  Don't  try  to  deceive  y/mrself  or  me,  dear  friend.  You 
believe  that  I  must  die.  All  the  others  seem  to  know  that 
I  must.  I  see  it  in  every  face." 

"  My  child,  my  child,  the  Lord  of  Heaven  and  earth  is 
also  the  Lord  of  life  and  death.  He  is  able  to  save  to  the 
uttermost  the  body  as  well  as  the  soul.  Pray  and  believe 
and  live,"  said  the  pastor,  trying  to  control  his  agitation. 

"  I  would  rather  submit  myself  to  His  will.  I  do  not  fear 
death.  But " 

Erminie  paused,  her  strength  failed,  her  senses  wandered 
for  a  moment,  her  eyes  filmed  over,  and  her  chin  dropped. 


392  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

Was  it  a  swoon  ?     Or  was  it  death  ? 

In  great  disturbance  Dr.  Sales  poured  some  Cologne  watei 
upon  a  fresh  handkerchief,  and  bathed  her  head  and  face,  and 
held  it  to  her  nose,  that  she  might  inhale  the  reviving 


And  in  a  few  moments  he  had  the  comfort  of  seeing  her 
draw  a  deep  breath  and  open  her  eyes.  She  did  not  know 
that  she  had  fainted,  for  she  took  up  the  sentence  just  where 
she  had  left  it  off. 

"  For  the  sake  of  others,  I  ought  to  know  my  condition,  so 
as  to  arrange  my  affairs." 

"  My  child,  you  are  fatiguing  yourself  too  much.  Let  me 
entreat  you  to  be  quiet." 

"  No ;  I  must  speak — while  I  can.  I  feel  I  have  no 
strength  to  make  any  but  a  verbal  will.  And  Justin  is 
not  here.  And  so — you  will  listen  to  me." 

"  Speak  on,  then,  dear  child,  but  take  your  time — do  not 
weary  yourself." 

And  with  many  pauses  and  rests  between  her  words,  Er- 
minie  spoke. 

"  You  know,  dear  friend,  the  large  property  left  me  by  my 
uncles  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Well,  if  I  die  without  a  will,  Justin,  as  my  heir-at-law, 
will  come  into  possession  of  the  whole." 

"  Certainly." 

"  And  I  cannot  make  a  will,  but  I  know  that  I  can  trust 
my  dear  brother  to  execute  my  wishes  as  conscientiously  as 
if  they  were  expressed  in  the  most  legally  drawn  up  testa- 
ment that  ever  was  framed." 

"  Indeed  you  may,  my  dear,"  replied  the  pastor,  as  he 
once  more  bathed  her  face  and  head  in  the  reviving  Cologne 
•water. 

"Well,  please  tell  Justin,  then,  my  last  dying  wishes." 

The  doctor  took  out  his  note-book  and  pencil  to  assist  hia 
memory,  if  future  need  should  be. 


THE     DEATH     WATCH.  393 

u  I  wish  Justin  to  take  one-third  of  the  whole  of  my 
property  for  himself,  and  to  give  a  second  third  to  Brito- 
inarte  Conyers,  whom  I  feel  sure  that  he  will  eventually 
marry,  and  to  give  the  remaining  third — " 

Dr.  Sales  wrote  all  this  down  in  his  note-hook,  and  then 
looked  up  to  see  why  Erminie  did  not  continue.  And  he 
saw  that  she  had  again  grown  deadly  faint. 

"  Oh,  Father  in  Heaven  !  she  is  hastening  her  own  death 
hy  all  this  effort,"  cried  the  pastor,  in  deep  distress,  as  he 
threw  down  his  note-book  and  caught  up  a  bottle  of  Cologne 
water  and  freely  bathed  her  face,  head  and  hands. 

Again  she  rallied,  smiled,  and  pointed  to  the  note  book, 
mutely  begging  him  to  take  it  up  and  proceed  with  his 
work. 

"  My  child,  my  child,  you  are  too  feeble  for  all  this  exer- 
tion. I  must  insist  upon  your  resting  for  awhile,"  said  Dr. 
Sales. 

"Kest — long  rest — will  come  very  soon.  But  now — I 
must  go  on,"  persisted  the  sinking  girl,  pointing  to  the  note 
book. 

Dr.  Sales  shook  his  head.  Erminie  turned  on  him  an 
imploring  look,  and  her  eyes  filled  with  tears. 

"  You  cannot  resist  the  prayer  of  the  dying,  and  the 
most  important  part  of  my  bequest  is  behind.  The  remain- 
ing third — " 

Here,  with  a  sigh,  Dr.  Sales  took  up  his  note  book. 

— "  The  remaining  third  of  my  property  I  wish  Justin 
to  devote  to  the  relief  of  the  aged  and  indigent  mothers  left 
destitute  by  the  death  of  their  soldier  sons." 

The  pastor  wrote  this  down  and  then  looked  up  for  further 
instructions. 

"  That  is  all,"  said  Erminie,  simply. 

Dr.  Sales  would  willingly  have  inquired  her  reasons  for 
making  this  bequest  to  the  mothers  rather  than  to  the 
widows  and  orphans  of  the  war ;  but  he  refrained  from 
taxing  her  strength  with  an  explanation. 


394  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

She,  however,  saw  the  question  in  his  face,  and  freely 
answered  it. 

"Every  one  thinks  of  the  widows  and  orphans  of  the 
war.  All  the  concerts  and  fairs  got  up  for  the  sufferers 
hy  the  war  are  for  the  widows  and  orphans.  And  this  is 
right  so  far  as  it  goes,  for  the  widows  and  orphans  must  be 
cared  for.  But  no  one  thinks  of  the  aged  and  indigent 
mothers  whose  sons  have  fallen  in  battle.  And  this  is  all 
wrong ;  for  these  old  mothers  are  perhaps  the  greatest  suf- 
ferers of  all.  The  widow  may  find  another  husband,  and  the 
orphan  another  father,  but  the  desolate  mother  who  has  lost 
her  son  in  battle  finds  never  another  to  fill  his  place  in  the 
'  aching  void  '  of  her  heart.  Therefore  will  I  try  to  relieve 
the  wants,  if  I  cannot  comfort  the  hearts,  of  the  mothers." 

These  last  words  were  almost  inaudible,  and  before 
they  were  well  uttered,  the  fair  young  saint  had  fainted 
quite  away. 

In  the  utmost  distress  Dr.  Sales  rang  the  bell,  which 
brought  Catherine  and  Elfie  to  the  room. 

All  the  three  used  their  best  efforts  to  restore  the 
swooning  girl. 

And  after  some  time  these  efforts  were  rewarded  with 
success. 

The  excitement  of  her  interview  with  Dr.  Sales  had 
been  far  too  great  for  the  strength  of  the  sinking  girl. 

She  recovered  from  her  swoon  of  exhaustion,  but  it  was 
only  to  pass  into  a  state  of  nervous  restlessness,  that  speedily 
progressed  into  feverish  delirium  and  arose  to  raging 
frenzy. 

Another  awful  night  with  the  sufferer  tried  all  the  endur- 
ance of  her  attendants. 

It  was  late  in  the  morning  before  the  raving  madness 
subsided  and  the  patient  sank  into  a  fatal  coma. 

The  visit  of  the  physician  in  the  forenoon  left  not  a  hope 
in  the  world  for  her  life. 


THE     DEATH     WATCH.  S95 

The  minister  came  and  prayed  by  her  bedside,  but  she 
heard  him  not. 

She  lay  in  a  stupor  that  every  one  felt  must  end  in 
death. 

"And  her  brother  has  not  arrived!"  exclamed  Elfie, 
wringing  her  hands. 

"  But  she  has  left  her  last  words  for  him  with  me,"  said 
Dr.  Sales. 

The  physician  went  away,  feeling  certain  that  at  his  next 
visit  he  should  see  the  white  crape  badge  upon  the  door  that 
should  warn  him  a  bright  young  life  had  left  the  earth. 

The  minister  remained  in  the  room,  watching  with  Elfie 
beside  the  death-bed,  and  praying  God  for  strength  for  all 
to  bear  the  approaching,  overwhelming  bereavement. 

The  house  was  kept  very  quiet — very  unreasonably  so, 
since  nothing  on  earth  could  now  disturb  the  calm  dreamer 
on  the  bed.  But  nevertheless  it  was  kept  so  very  quiet. 
Straw  was  laid  before  the  line  of  garden  wall  fencing  the 
road,  tp  deaden  even  at  that  distance  the  sound  of  passing 
vehicles.  The  door-knocker  was  muffled  and  the  wires  of 
the  bells  were  cut.  Locks  and  hinges  were  oiled.  And 
every  man  and  woman  in  the  place  wore  list  slippers,  and 
moved  in  silence  and  murmured  in  whispers. 

Very,  very  still  was  the  place.  So  that  there  was  no 
warning  of  the  approaching  traveller,  until  the  door  of  the 
sick  room  softly  opened  and  Catherine  crept  in  and  whis- 
pered to  Elfie : 

"  Mr.  Justin  has  come." 

With  the  old  familiar  household  servants  Colonel  Kosen- 
thal  was  still  Mr.  Justin. 

Elfie  started  up,  and  signing  to  Catherine  to  take  her 
place,  slipped  out  of  the  room  and  down  stairs  and  passed 
into  the  library,  where  she  naturally  expected  to  find 
Justin. 

He  was  pacing  silently  up  and  down  the  floor.  On  her 
entrance  he  turned  quickly  and  demanded  eagerly : 


896  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

«  How  is  she  ?    How  is  she  ?  " 

"Oh,  Justin!"  exclaimed  Elfie,  dropping  into  a  chair 
and  bursting  into  tears. 

"Dead?  dead?"  cried  Justin,  breathlessly,  starting 
towards  her  and  seizing  her  hand. 

"  Not  yet !  not  yet !     Oh,  Justin  ! " 

«  But— dying  ?  " 

Elfie  nodded  her  head  and  burst  into  heavier  sobs. 

Justin  threw  himself  into  a  chair,  covered  his  face  with 
his  hands  and  groaned  in  anguish. 

And  so  they  remained  a  few  moments — Elfie  sobbing 
heavily,  Justin  struggling  for  composure. 

At  length  Elfie  arose  and  with  a  still  heaving  bosom 
went  to  her  companion  and  said  : 

"  You  had  better  see  her  now — while — while  she — while 
she  still  lives." 

"  Is  she  conscious  ?  "  groaned  Justin. 

Elfie  shook  her  head. 

"  Oh,  how — how  did  she  take  this  fatal  fever  ?  "  inquired 
Justin,  as  he  arose  to  follow  his  conductor. 

"  How  ?  Can  you  doubt  ?  By  her  unremitted  devotion  to 
the  soldiers  in  the  hospitals.  Oh,  Justin,  Justin  !  If  ever 
yet  a  young  saint  won  a  crown  of  martyrdom,  your  sister 
will.  She  visited  the  fever  wards  that  every  one  else  except 
surgeons  and  nurses  avoided.  She  ministered  to  scores  of 
the  fever-stricken,  and  comforted  and  saved  many.  But 
now,  you  will  see  the  end." 

As  Elfie  murmured  these  last  words  they  reached  the 
door  of  Erminie's  chamber,  which  had  been  left  standing 
open  for  the  freer  ventilation  of  the  room. 

"  Come  in,"  said  Elfie,  leading  the  way. 

Justin,  with  a  depressed  and  reverend  bearing,  followed 
Elfie  up  to  the  bedside  of  his  sister. 

Dr.  Sales  and  Catherine  were  in  attendance,  but  both 
silently  made  way  for  the  afflicted  brother,  who  now  stood 
gazing  upon  the  wreck  of  his  beautiful  only  slate.-. 


THE     GHOSTLY     VISITOR.  397 

There  she  lay,  still,  white,  cold  and  almost  lifeless  as 
marble. 

Justin's  great  frame  shook  with  the  terrible  storm  of 
sorrow  that  he  could  not  wholly  repress. 

For  a  few  moments  the  venerable  pastor  held  back  in 
respect  to  the  sacredness  of  the  brother's  grief.  Then  he 
went  slowly  to  the  side  of  Justin,  took  his  hand,  and  said  : 

"  You  know  how  much  I  feel  with  you.  My  grief  and 
sense  of  loss  is  scarcely  less  than  your  own.  But  we  know 
also  where  to  look  for  strength  to  endure." 

Justin  wrung  the  pastor's  hand  in  silence,  and  then  sunk 
down  in  the  chair  that  some  friendly  hand  had  placed  for 
him. 

Leaving  the  three  faithful  guardians  by  the  bedside  of  the 
sinking  girl,  Elfie  went  down  to  have  all  manner  of  com- 
forts and  refreshments  prepared  for  the  new!}7  arrived 
brother.  And  then,  when  she  had  made  everything  ready, 
she  returned  to  the  chamber  of  Erminie,  and  whispered  to 
Justin  that  his  dressing-room  was  prepared,  and  that  his 
luncheon  would  be  put  upon  the  table  as  soon  as  he  should 
be  ready  to  eat  it. 

More  for  the  purpose  of  getting  away  to  indulge  his  sor- 
row in  solitude  than  for  any  other  reason,  Justin  arose  and 
left  the  chamber. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

THE   GHOSTLY   VISITOR. 

Hushed  wore  his  angel's  lips,  but  still  their  bland 
And  beautiful  expressiou  seemed  to  melt 
With  love  that  could  not  die.— CAMPBELL. 

"  You  should  lie  down  and  try  to  get  some  rest,  my  poor 
child.     You  look  quite  worn  out/'   whispered  Dr.  Sales, 


398  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

looking  compassionately  on  Elfie's  thin,  white  face,  and 
tremulous  frame. 

"  I  will,  when  Justin  returns  to  the  room.  I  must  sleep 
an  hour  or  two  this  afternoon,  so  as  to  be  able  to  watch  with 
her  through  the  night,  if  indeed  she  should  live  so  long," 
assented  Elfie. 

And  when  Justin  resumed  his  place  by  the  bedside,  Elfie 
retired  to  seek  her  much  needed  sleep,  warning  them  all  to 
have  her  called  if  any  change  should  take  place  in  Errninie. 

It  was  as  well  Elfie  went  away  when  she  did,  for  if  she 
had  remained  in  the  sick  room  five  minutes  longer,  no  one 
would  have  been  able  to  persuade  her  to  go  to  rest. 

For  scarcely  was  the  tired  girl  safe  within  her  sanctuary, 
before  old  Frederica  came  hobbling  up  stairs,  and  put  her 
head  into  the  door  of  the  sick-room. 

Justin  arose  softly  and  went  to  her. 

"  What  is  it,  Frederica  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  want  Miss  Elfie." 

"She  has  gone  to  lie  down.  She  must  not  be  disturbed 
on  any  account.  Can  I  supply  her  place  ?  " 

"Well,  she  asked  for  Miss  Elfie,  sir.  But  if  Miss  Elfie 
can't  see  her,  I  suppose  you  can." 

«  See— who  ?  " 

"  Miss  Conyers,  sir." 

"Miss  CONYERS  !"  exclaimed  Justin. 

And  all  the  joy  his  sorrow  could  admit  for  companionship 
rushed  into  his  heart.  But  then  came  wonder  and  perplex- 
ity, and  he  repeated  slowly — "  Miss  Conyers  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  Miss  Conyers,  and  she's  just  offen  a  long  jour- 
ney, and  she  looks  completely  wored  out." 

"  I  will  see  her  immediately,"  said  Justin. 

And  he  stole  to  the  bedside,  whispered  the  news  of  the 
arrival  to  Dr.  Sales,  and  then  he  followed  old  Frederica 
from  the  room,  and  down  the  stairs. 

He  opened  the  library  door. 


THE      GHOSTLY     VISITOR.  399 

There  stood  Britomarte,  sun-burned,  dusty,  travel-stained, 
almost  unrecognizable,  but  undoubtedly  Britomarte. 

l'  Britomarte  !  Miss  Conyers  !  "  exclaimed  Justin,  going 
towards  her  with  both  hands  stretched  forth. 

She  met  him  and  seized  his  hands  as  she  exclaimed : 

"  How  is  your  sister  ?     How  is  my  dear  Erminie  ?  " 

"  Oh,  Britomarte  !  Oh,  my  friend,  in  what  an  hour  of 
sorrow  we  meet !  " 

"  She  is — not  gone  ?  "  hurriedly  breathed  Miss  Conyers. 

"  No,  not  gone,  but  she  is  an  angel  prepared  for  Heaven, 
and  she  is  going,"  groaned  Justin. 

"  Oh,  what  is  it  ?  What  is  it  that  is  killing  her  ?  "  wept 
Britomarte. 

Justin  told  her,  as  Elfie  had  told  him : 

"  A  malignant  fever,  caught  in  the  hospital  during  her 
attendance  upon  the  sick  soldiers." 

«  Elfie  ?  where  is  she  ?  »     How  is  she  ?  " 

"  Well,  except  that  she  is  very  much  fatigued  with  inces- 
sant watching.  She  is  gone  to  lie  down  for  a  few  hours." 

"  And  when  can  I  see  my  dear  Erminie  ?  " 

"At  any  time.  Nothing  disturbs  her  now.  Would  to 
Heaven  it  could.  But  I  warn  you,  dear  Britomarte,  that 
the  sight  will  almost  break  your  heart." 

"  Take  me  to  her,  please,"  said  Miss  Conyers,  rising  and 
taking  off  her  dusty  bonnet  and  shawl. 

Justin  led  the  way  up  stairs  to  the  chamber  of  death,  and 
Britomarte  went  up  to  the  bedside  and  stood  gazing  upon 
the  ruins  of  her  beautiful  friend  as  Justin  had  gazed  before ; 
and  the  watchers  now  made  way  for  her  as  they  had  once 
made  way  for  him;  and  after  a  few  minutes  Britomarte  sank, 
sobbing,  upon  her  knees,  and  buried  her  head  in  the  bed- 
clothes. 

They  let  her  weep  on  undisturbed  until  the  storm  of  grief 
had  exhausted  its  violence  and  left  her  quiet,  and  then  Jus- 
tin and  Dr.  Sales  approached,  and  each  took  a  hand  of  hers, 


400  HOW     HE     WON     HEE. 

and  they  raised  her  from  the  floor  and  placed  her  on  the 
chair. 

"Your  grief  is  one  that  is  shared  by  us  all.  All  who 
knew  and  loved  her  will  be  awfully  bereaved.  Only  God 
can  comfort  us,"  said  the  pastor,  gravely,  as  he  pressed  the 
hand  of  Miss  Conyers. 

At  that  moment  old  Frederica  again  appeared  at  the  door, 
ushering  in  the  medical  attendant. 

The  physician  in  solemn  silence  shook  hands  with  Dr. 
Sales,  Justin  and  Britomarte,  and  then  proceeded  to  examine 
his  patient. 

He  lingered  some  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  at  the  bedside 
with  his  finger  on  her  pulse,  his  eyes  on  her  countenance,  or 
his  ear  near  her  lips — counting,  watching,  or  listening  for 
the  ebb,  or  flow,  or  pause  of  the  currents  of  life. 

At  length  he  made  his  report :  no  change  in  the  patient 
for  better  or  worse.  He  gave  his  prescriptions, — certain 
draughts  and  powders,  to  be  administered  under  certain  con- 
tingencies ;  and  he  issued  his  orders  to  be  summoned  imme- 
diately should  any  change  take  place  in  her,  and  then  he 
took  leave  and  went  away. 

The  afternoon  passed  off  and  no  change  took  place  in  Er- 
minie.  She  lay  on  her  bed,  like  a  dead  girl  on  her  bier,  or 
like  a  stone  effigy  on  a  tomb,  and  her  watchers  sat  around 
her  motionless  as  statues. 

As  for  Elfie,  shut  away  in  her  distant  room,  she  slept  the 
deep  sleep  of  weariness  until  after  sunset,  when  she  awoke 
with  a  start,  feeling  guilty  that  she  had  slept  so  long.  Be- 
fore even  hurrying  on  her  clothes,  she  threw  a  large  shawl 
around  her  and  slipped  down  the  back  stairs  to  inquire  of 
Frederica  about  Erin  in  ie. 

"  She  is  still  the  same — no  better,  but  no  worse,"  replied 
the  housekeeper.  "  And  now,  Miss  Elfie,  you  had  better  go 
back  to  your  room  and  take  a  'freshing  bath ;  and  by  the 
time  you  are  dressed,  I  will  bring  you  a  cup  of  tea  and  a 


THE     GHOSTLY     VISITOR.  401 

round  of  toast,"  added  old  Frederica,  wisely  suppressing  the 
fact  of  Miss  Conyers'  arrival,  lest  Elfie,  in  her  impatience  to 
meet  her  friend,  should  deprive  herself  of  the  comfort  and 
refreshment  so  much  needed. 

So  Elfie,  ignorant  of  Britomarte's  presence  in  the  house, 
took  her  bath  and  afterwards  her  tea,  and  feeling  refreshed 
and  strengthened,  went  immediately  to  the  sick  room,  and 
walked  directly  to  the  bed  where  Erminie  still  lay,  a  beauti- 
ful, white,  motionless  form,  and  where  the  watchers  still  sat 
like  statues. 

In  the  absorption  of  all  her  thoughts  with  the  subject  of 
the  sick  girl,  Elfie  had  not  noticed  that  there  was  a  stranger 
present.  She  looked  down  upon  the  marble  face,  pressed 
her  lips  to  the  cold  mouth  and  the  colder  brow,  laid  her  hand 
upon  the  faintly  beating  heart,  dropped  fast  tears  upon  the 
quiescent  form,  and  murmured : 

"No  change!  no  change!  Oh,  Heaven,  will  she  pass 
away  in  this  manner,  without  recognizing  any  of  her  friends  ? 
What  does  the  doctor  say,  Justin  ?  " 

"He  can  give  no  decided  opinion,"  sighed  the  brother. 
Then,  seeing  that  Elfie's  attention  continued  to  be  so  fixed 
upon  the  patient  that  she  entirely  overlooked  the  visitor,  he 
added : 

"  Elfie,  do  you  see  Miss  Conyers  ?  " 
And  Britomarte  arose  and  held  out  her  hand. 
Elfie  gave  a  start  and  uttered  a  cry  that  must  have  aroused 
any  patient  not  in  a  state  of  coma. 

"  You — you  here  !  Where  did  you  drop  from  ?  When 
did  you  come  ?  Oh  !  but  I  am  so  glad  to  see  you ;  or  I 
should  be  so,  if  I  could  feel  glad  of  anything  now,"  eagerly 
yet  cautiously  exclaimed  Elfie,  in  half  suppressed  excitement 
and  a  half  smothered  voice. 

"  I  came  last  from  Baltimore.     I  got  here  at  two  o'clock 
this  afternoon,"  whispered  Miss  Conyers. 
25 


402  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

"  At  two  o'clock  !  That  was  just  when  I  laid  down* 
Why  didn't  they  call  me  ?  " 

"  We  would  not  permit  you  to  be  disturbed,"  said  Brito- 
marte. 

"  My  dear  Elfie,"  said  Justin,  "  Miss  Conyers  has  arrived 
off  a  long  and  dusty  journey,  and  needs  hospitable  atten- 
tions of  all  sorts.  May  I  ask  you  to  take  my  dear  sister's 
place  as  hostess,  and  do  the  honors  of  the  house  to  her  ?  " 

"  Of  course,  of  course,"  hurriedly  whispered  Elfie ;  and 
she  beckoned  Britomarte,  who  followed  her  from  the  room. 

First  Elfie  gave  orders  to  old  Frederica  to  prepare  a  light 
repast  for  the  guest.  And  then  she  led  Britomarte  to  a 
chamber  up  stairs,  where  she  supplied  her  with  water,  towels, 
and  a  complete  change  of  clothes. 

And  afterwards,  while  Miss  Conyers  sat  drinking  tea, 
she  poured  into  her  ear  the  history  of  her  strange  meeting 
with  Goldsborough  in  the  hospital,  and  his  tragic  death. 

Much  of  this  Britomarte  had  heard  before,  by  letters 
from  Erminie ;  but  now  she  heard  for  the  first  time  the 
full  particulars  of  the  affair. 

Elfie  then  talked  of  Erminie  and  her  fatal  devotion  to 
the  sufferers  in  the  fever  wards  of  the  hospital,  and  the 
martyrdom  in  which  that  devotion  was  about  to  end.  And 
at  that  point  she  burst  into  tears. 

"  Take  comfort,"  said  Miss  Conyers.  "  I  have  watched 
her  attentively  for  the  last  five  or  six  hours.  And  friends 
and  physicians  may  all  be  mistaken  at  last ;  and  youth  and 
constitution  may  eventually  triumph." 

"  Well,  1  hope  so ;  or  rather  I  would  hope  if  I  could," 
sighed  Elfie,  despondently. 

And  then  they  talked  of  other  matters. 

Elfie  had  her  own  theory,  true  or  false,  of  Britomarte's 
hidden  life ;  and  so  she  forbore  to  ask  Miss  Conyers  any 
questions  about  her  manner  of  existence. 

And  indeed  in  a  little  while  they  returned  to  the  sick 


THE      GHOSTLY     VISITOR.  403 

room,  where  the  beautiful  Erininie  still  lay  on  her  bed  like 
a  dead  girl  on  her  bier. 

The  gentlemen  went  down  stairs  to  their  late  and  com- 
fortless dinner;  for  meals  were  now  very  irregular  in  this 
house  of  woe. 

After  dinner  Dr.  Sales  went  away. 

And  that  evening  the  watch  for  the  night  was  arranged 
in  this  manner: 

"Elfie,  having  been  refreshed  by  her  long  afternoon's  nap, 
was  to  sit  up  from  eight  o'clock  until  two,  and  then  she 
was  to  be  relieved  by  Britomarte. 

Miss  Conyers,  being  fatigued  by  her  long  journey,  was 
to  go  to  bed  at  eight  o'clock,  and  rest  until  two,  when  she 
was  to  rise  and  relieve  Elfie. 

Accordingly,  at  eight  o'clock  Britomarte  retired ;  and 
Elfie  having  drank  several  large  cups  of  strong  green  tea 
to  keep  herself  wide  awake,  took  her  seat  in  the  big  easy 
chair  near  the  head  of  Erminie's  bed. 

She  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  think.  She  could  neither 
read  nor  sew  ;  for  there  was  no  light  in  the  room  but  the 
dim  taper  that  burnt  upon  the  hearth.  The  whole  house 
was  very  silent.  The  three  gentlemen,  Justin,  Major 
Fielding,  Captain  Ethel,  were  reading,  or  trying  to  read,  in 
the  library  below. 

The  two  servants,  old  Frederica  and  Catherine,  her  niece, 
were  seated  in  their  kitchen. 

And  the  one  man  servant,  old  Bob,  was  dozing  in  a  sort 
of  porter's  chair  in  the  hall  near  the  front  door,  to  be  easily 
within  call. 

Elfie  looked  forward  wearily,  drearily  to  her  six  hours  of 
lonely  vigilance.  Nothing  but  her  love  for  Erminie  could 
have  borne  through  its  solitude  and  tediousness. 

Even  the  first  two  hours,  between  eight  and  ten,  when 
she  had  waking  company  in  the  house,  seemed  awful  in 
solitude  and  interminable  in  tediousness. 


404  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

All  was  so  silent  that  she  heard  the  sound  of  the  very 
first  footfalls  of  the  family  preparing  to  retire,  and  it  filled 
her  with  a  strange,  nervous  Sense  of  desolation  and  dread. 

First  came  the  echo  of  the  distant  steps  of  the  women 
servants  going  by  the  hack  stairs  to  their  rooms  in  the 
attic. 

Next  came  the  three  gentlemen  np  the  front  stairs. 
They  all  paused  at  the  door  of  the  sick  room,  to  hear  the 
last  report  of  Erminie's  condition  before  taking  a  final 
leave  for  the  night. 

Elfie  went  to  meet  them  and  gave  her  cheerless  bulletin 
— «  No  change." 

Justin  came  in  on  tip-toes  and  gazed  mournfully  on  his 
sister  for  a  few  moments,  and  then  kissed  her  pallid  brow 
and  stole  away. 

And  the  three  gentlemen  went  up  another  flight  of  stairs, 
separated  to  their  several  apartments  and  retired  to  bed. 

Lastly  Elfie  heard  Old  Bob  drag  his  mattress  up  the 
kitchen  stairs  and  along  the  hall  to  the  front  door,  across 
which  he  laid  it  down ;  for  there,  like  a  big  watch-dog,  he 
slept  all  night  to  guard  the  door,  and  also  to  be  at  hand  to 
let  the  doctor  in  should  he  call  during  the  night  or  very 
early  in  the  morning.  The  tumbling  rather  than  the  laying 
down  of  Old  Bob  on  his  mattress  was  the  last  social  sound 
that  Elfie  heard  to  keep  her  company. 

After  that  all  about  the  house  was  as  still  as  the  tomb. 
Though  Elfie  hated  snorers,  now.  so  nervous  and  excitable 
did  she  feel,  that  she  would  have  been  glad  to  hear  Old 
Bob  snore  most  sonorously.  But  apparently  the  porter  was 
a  deep  and  silent  sleeper. 

Every  five  or  ten  minutes  Elfie  stooped  over  her  patient ; 
but  the  still  white  face,  so  like  the  face  of  the  dead,  filled 
her  with  terror.  She  could  sometimes  scarcely  forbear 
screaming  and  running  from  the  room.  But  she  controlled 
herself  and  watched  on. 


THE      GHOSTLY     VISITOR.  405 

"  What  has  come  over  me  ?  "  she  asked  of  herself.  "  I 
am  naturally  no  coward ;  and  yet  here  I  am  listening  and 
watching  and  starting  as  if  €  expected  to  hear,  or  see,  or 
suffer  something  hideous.  Is  it  that  I  am  out  of  sorts 
through  broken  rest  and  irregular  meals — fatigue  of  body 
and  anxiety  of  mind  ?  Or  is  it  the  effect  of  the  green  tea  ? 
Or  is  it  the  near  proximity  of  death  that  gives  all  my  sur- 
roundings a  supernatural  aspect  and  throws  over  my  spirit 
an  atmosphere  of  awe  and  dread  ?  I  will  walk  awhile." 

And  so  saying,  Elfie  arose  and  paced  up  and  down  the 
floor.  Her  feet,  cased  in  velvet  slippers  and  walking  over 
a  soft  carpet,  made  no  noise.  So  Elfie  paced  back  and  forth 
many  times,  until  she  had  walked  a  mile  or  two,  if  the  dis- 
tance had  all  been  stretched  out  in  a  line. 

Then  when  she  had  thoroughly  fatigued  herself,  she  sat 
down  again  in  her  easy  chair.  Her  act  had  been  a  very 
imprudent  one  ;  it  had  tired  her  and  made  her  sleepy. 
Indeed,  she  was  just  dropping  off  to  sleep  when  the  striking 
of  the  clock  aroused  her. 

It  was  a  very  softly,  silvery  sounding  clock ;  but  it  was 
enough  to  startle  an  irritable  napper;  and  Elfie  awoke  with 
a  spring,  thinking  that  she  had  very  nearly  fallen  asleep  j 
but  having  no  idea  that  she  really  had  done  so. 

The  clock  chimed  twelve. 

And  Elfie,  to  occupy  her  mind  and  keep  herself  awake, 
commenced  quoting  poetry ;  another  imprudent  act,  for  how- 
ever appropriate  were  the  lines  to  the  time  and  scene,  they 
were  ill  chosen  for  the  occasion,  because  they  made  her  the 
more  nervous,  though  not  the  less  sleepy.  The  lines  she 
quoted  were  these : 

"  "Tis  now  the  very  witching  time  of  night, 
When  churchyards  yawn  and  hell  itself  breathes  out 
Contagion  on  the  world." 

And  so  on  to  the  end. 

Before  Elfie  got  to  the  end  she  had  dropped  asleep  again, 


406  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

and  she  slept  on  until  she  was  once  more  aroused  by  the 
silvery  striking  of  the  clock.  It  chimed  "one,"  and  she 
sprang  up  with  a  guilty  pang. 

"  Goodness  !  I  had  nearly  been  asleep  again.  One  o'clock ! 
well,  the  time  does  pass.  Only  one  hour  more  of  this  dread- 
ful watch.  I  must  try  to  keep  awake  somehow.  It  will 
never  do  to  let  Britomarte  catch  me,  a  sentinel,  sleeping  on 
my  post.  She  is  used  to  military  discipline,  and  might  take 
it  into  her  head  that  I  ought  to  be  shot.  And  indeed  I 
think  she  would  be  right.  What  a  brute  I  am,  even  to  feel 
like  going  to  sleep  beside  this  dying  angel ! "  exclaimed  Elfie, 
rising  and  looking  over  her  charge. 

"  No  change — oh,  no  change,  my  poor,  sweet  martyr,"  she 
said,  as  she  kissed  the  pale  brow  and  then  resumed  her  seat. 

"  Yes,  I  must  keep  awake  somehow.  Let  me  try  more 
poetry,  though  nothing  but  the  horrible  recurs  to  my  memory 
to-night,"  said  Elfie,  yawning. 

"  Now  o'er  the  one-half  world 
Nature  seems  dead,  and  wicked  dreaius  abuse 
x          The  curtained  sleep ;  now  witchcraft — " 

Elfie  lost  herself,  nodded  forward,  caught  herself  up  and 
began  again,  "Now  witchcraft,"  and  nodded,  and  then  re- 
sumed, "  Witchcraft,"  and  then  she  fell  fast  asleep. 

Now  what  followed  Elfie  could  never  exactly  account  for, 
could  never  even  understand  whether  it  were  reality  or 
"  witchcraft,"  indeed.  ' 

But  this  was  what  took  place,  or  seemed  to  do  so. 

Elfie  thought  that  she  was  again  on  the  point  of  dropping 
to  sleep,  when  she  became  conscious  that  a  tall,  handsome, 
black-haired  and  black-dressed  man  stood  beside  her.  She 
seemed  only  half  awake,  and  took  the  man  for  Justin,  and 
was  about  to  speak  to  him,  when  she  suddenly  recognized 
the  Eebel  General  Eastworth,  supposed  to  be  then  in  the 
entrenched  lines  of  Charleston,  helping  to  defend  the  city, 
but  also  reported  to  have  been  killed  in  the  last  assault  by 
the  Union  forces. 


THE     GHOSTLY     VISITOR.  407 

Before  Elfie  recovered  from  her  astonishment  so  as  to  be 
able  to  call  out,  the  man,  or  the  ghost,  whichever  it  was, 
stretched  forth  his  arm,  and  placed  a  moist  sponge,  envel- 
oped in  a  white  handkerchief,  to  her  nose.  And  Elfie 
was  at  once  exhilarated  and  overwhelmed  by  a  strange,  de- 
licious odor,  that  intoxicated  her  with  a  wild  yet  sweet 
delirium,  and  deprived  her  of  both  the  will  and  the  power  to 
change  her  position. 

Sitting  there,  perfectly  powerless,  yet  perfectly  conscious, 
unable  to  move  or  to  speak,  she  yet  heard  and  saw  all  that 


The  tall  man  pinned  the  sponge  in  the  handkerchief  to  her 
boddice  directly  under  her  nose,  so  that,  with  her  head  rest- 
ing on  her  breast,  she  must  continue  to  breathe  the  fumes. 

Then  he  turned  and  dropped  on  his  knees  by  the  bed  so 
as  to  bring  his  dark,  agonized  brow  nearer  to  the  level  of  the 
beautiful  pale  face  pillowed  there,  and  he  kissed  the  cold  lips 
passionately  and  wept. 

"  Oh  !  my  dearest,  my  dearest,  is  it  even  so  ?  I  am  here 
at  the  risk  of  my  life,  of  my  honor,  only  to  look  upon  your 
sweet  eyes  once  more  before  they  are  hidden  forever  in  the 
grave,  only  to  hear  your  gentle  voice  speak  forgiveness  before 
it  is  hushed  forever  in  death  !  But  your  eyes  are  closed — 
your  lips  are  mute — and  your  wings  are  already  spread  for 
Heaven  !  Oh,  Erminie  !  Erminie  !  how  could  I  ever  have 
weighed  my  mad  ambition  against  your  holy  love  !  Oh,  my 
darling  !  my  darling  !  that  I  could  offer  up  my  life  in  ransom 
for  yours  !  I  would  give  my  life  to  restore  you,  my  love  ! — 
nay,  I  would  give  my  life  merely  to  hoar  those  sweet  silent 
lips  speak  one  word — forgiveness  !  " 

And  here  the  strong  man  bowed  his  head  upon  the  sides 
of  the  bed  and  wept  convulsively. 

And  now  came  the  strangest  part  of  the  strange  vision. 

Elfie,  witnessing  all  that  occurred,  as  in  a  nightmare 
dream  from  which  she  sought  in  vain  to  wake,  saw  also  this 
strange  phenomenon. 


408  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

The  white-robed  form  of  Erminie  slowly  arose  to  a  sitting 
posture  ;  the  golden  glory  of  her  auburn  hair  fell  around 
her  like  a  halo ;  her  face  shone  "  as  the  face  of  an  angel ;  " 
she  stretched  forth  her  fair  arms  and  let  her  fair  hands  fall 
softly  and  slowly  as  snow-flakes  upon  the  bowed  black  head 
beneath  them ;  and  she  murmured,  in  a  grave,  sweet,  silvery 
cadence : 

"  'Tis  not  for  me  to  say  the  Heavenly  word.  But  you 
sought  me  and  I  love  you.  You  saved  my  dear  father  from 
a  dreadful  doom,  aud  I  bless  you.  May  the  Lord  speak 
forgiveness  to  your  soul,  my  love." 

Yes,  to  Elfie's  incredulous  amazement,  she  who,  for 
twenty-four  hours,  had  lain  on  her  bed  "  like  a  marble  girl 
on  a  marble  slab,"  incapable  of  being  moved  to  conscious- 
ness by  the  gentle  words  and  caresses  of  her  only  brother, 
or  by  the  tender  tears  and  kisses  of  her  bosom  friend,  had 
been  stirred  to  life  and  roused  to  response  by  the  passionate 
appeal  of  her  ghostly  lover  ! 

Simultaneously  with  this  strange  discovery,  there  was  a 
ringing  as  of  many  bells  in  Elfie's  ears,  a  dancing  as  of 
many  lights  in  Elfie's  eyes,  and  the  whole  vision  was 
whirled  away  from  her  in  a  delirious  carnival  of  glory. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

ELFIE'S   VISION. 

Say  from  whence 
You  owe  this  strange  intelligence 

Speak,  I  charge  ye !— SHAKSPEABK. 

"  ELFIE  !  why,  Elfie,  wake  up." 

It  was  the  voice  of  Britomarte,  speaking  in  a  low  but 
eager  tone  as  she  gently  shook  the  girl  to  rouse  her. 


ELFIE'S    VISION.  409 

Elfie  yawned,  stretched  her  arms,  and  gazed  around  in 
perplexity. 

"Elfie  !  what,  Elfie  !  asleep  on  your  post !  In  the  army 
we — I  mean  they — shoot  sentinels  for  such  derelictions  from 
duty,"  said  Miss  Conyers. 

«  Qw — ow— ow  !  "  gaped  Elfie,  "  is  he  gone  ?  " 

"  Gone  !     Who  gone  ?  " 

"  General  Eastworth,  or  his  fetch  !  " 

"  General  Eastworth  !  You  are  dreaming,  Elfie.  Wake 
up  !  I  wonder  that  you  should  have  allowed  yourself  to  go 
to  sleep." 

"  I  have  not  been  asleep  for  one  minute — not  for  one 
minute  during  my  whole  six  hours'  watch,  though  I  have 
been  near  dropping  off  several  times ;  but  I  managed  to 
keep  wide  awake,"  said  Elfie,  with  the  usual  self-delusion  of 
such  drowsy  delinquents. 

"  Why,  Elfie,  I  found  you  sleeping  so  soundly  that  I 
could  scarcely  wake  you." 

"  Ow — ow — ow !  "  yawned  the  culprit.  "  I  tell  you  I  have 
not  been  asleep  one  instant.  I  have  been  chlo — ro — formed 
by  General  Eastworth.  That's  what's  the  matter." 

«  <  Chloroformed  by  General  Eastworth  ! '  Why,  Elfie, 
you  are  not  even  yet  awake.  You  are  still  dreaming  and 
talking  in  your  sleep.  House  yourself,  girl !  " 

"  Rouse  myself,  indeed.  I  never  was  so  broad  awake 
in  the  whole  course  of  my  life  as  I  have  been  within  the 
last  hour.  My  eyes  have  been  stretched  so  wide  open  with 
astonishment  that  I  don't  believe  I  shall  ever  be  able  to 
close  them  again.  General  Eastworth,  or  his  fetch,  has  been 
here,  and  Erminie  has  spoken  with  him.  There — what  do 
you  think  of  that  ?  " 

"  I  think  you  are  talking  at  random.  I  think  you  are 
still  under  the  influence  of  your  dream.  You  must  have 
been  very  far  gone  in  the  '  land  of  Nod '  to  be  so  long  in 
getting  back  again.  It  is  well  that  your  patient  has  lain  so 


410  HOW     HE     WON     HEK. 

quietly  all  this  while  as  not  to  need  your  attentions,"  said 
Miss  Conyers,  in  a  rebuking  manner.  "  I  wonder  how  long 
you  slept.  Can  you  remember  what  hour  the  clock  struck 
last  ?  "  she  inquired. 

"  I  should  think  I  could,"  replied  Elfie,  crossly,  for  she 
was  irritated  at  the  incredulity  of  her  friend — "  I  should 
just  think  I  could  !  I  was  broad  awake,  repeating  a  passage 
of  Shakspeare  to  myself,  suitable  to  the  time  and  circum- 
stances, when  I  heard  the  clock  strike  '  one/  and  at  the  same 
time  I  saw  standing  by  me — a  man." 

«  Nonsense,  Elfie  !  " 

"  No,  it  was  a  man.  First  I  thought  it  was  Justin  come 
in  to  ask  after  his  sister.  And  I  looked  up  to  speak  to  him, 

and  then  I  recognized General  Eastworth.  The  sight 

of  him  here,  and  at  this  hour,  took  away  my  breath,  and 
before  I  could  recover  it  he  chloroformed  me — not  at  first  to 
insensibility,  but  to  powerlessness.  I  could  neither  move 
nor  speak,  but  I  saw  and  heard  all  that  went  on.  The 
Eebel  General  Eastworth  has  been  here  in  this  room  within 
the  last  hour.  And  Erminie  has  spoken  with  him." 

"  Elfie,  this  is  moonstruck  madness." 

"  No,  it  isn't ;  it  is  truth  and  soberness.  He  bent  over 
her,  wept  over  her,  knelt  by  her  bed  and  apostrophized  her 
as  one  does  the  dead.  And  she  rose  up  and  laid  her  hands 
upon  his  head,  and  blessed  him  and  forgave  him.  And  then 
the  whole  scene  passed  from  my  senses  to  the  ringing  of  sil- 
very bells  and  the  flashing  of  Drummond  lights.  I  suppose 
the  chloroform  he  had  pinned  under  my  nose  produced  its 
full  effect,  and  throw  me  into  unconsciousness.  But  I  have 
a  v«  y  clear  recollection  of  what  happened  before.  And  I 
am  willing  to  make  an  affidavit  that  General  Eastworth 
has  been  here,  and  that  Erminie  has  spoken  to  him." 

"  Good  Heavens,  Elfie,  how  can  you  be  so  utterly 
irrational  ?  General  Eastworth  is  in  the  besieged  city  of 
Charleston,  helping  to  defend  it,  if  he  is  not  in  his  grave, 


ELFIE 's    VISION.  411 

as  is  reported.  So  it  is  clearly  impossible  he  could  be  here. 
And,  Erminie,  see  for  yourself.  She  is  prostrate,  as  she  has 
been  for  many  hours,  without  sense  or  motion." 

"  So  I  hear  you  say.  But  I  must  believe  the  evidence  of 
my  own  eyes  and  ears  for  all  that,"  pouted  Elfie. 

"  I  think  I  can  explain  this,  my  dear.  You  say  you 
heard  the  clock  strike  '  one,'  and  immediately  saw  the  man 
at  your  side,  and  the  strange  play  began.  Now  I  will  tell 
you  what  probably  happened.  As  the  clock  struck  'one,' 
you  fell  asleep.  In  the  meantime,  our  doctor,  returning 
from  some  late  professional  visit,  and  knowing  that  old  Bob 
was  sleeping  at  the  hall  door,  called  to  see  our  patient.  He 
was  admitted,  and  came  up  into  the  room,  and  you,  half 
awakened  by  his  entrance,  and  oppressed  with  indigestion 
and  nightmare — you  would  eat  new  cheese  for  supper,  Elfie, 
though  I  warned  you  not  to  do  it — you  imagined  the  harm- 
less medical  attendant  to  be  the  Rebel  General,  and  you 
dreamed  the  rest." 

"  Well,  if  I  did !     But  what  is  the  use  of  talking  to 

you  matter-of-fact  folks  ?  You  believe  nothing  that  isn't 
evident  to  your  own  senses.  I  wonder  you  believe  in  the 
Christian  Eevelation  !  "  angrily  exclaimed  Elfie. 

"  Go  to  bed,  my  dear,  and  when  you  have  had  a  good 
wholesome  sleep,  you  will  rise  in  a  better  and  more  reasona- 
ble mood.  And  to-morrow  we  can  easily  find  out  from  old 
Bob  if  the  doctor  or  any  one  else  called  during  the  night. 
Come,  Elfie,  take  my  advice  and  retire,"  recommended  Miss 
Conyers. 

" '  Retire '  indeed !  Do  you  think,  after  the  supernatural 
horrors  of  this  night,  I  can  retire  and  compose  myself  to 
sleep  ?  No  indeed  !  " 

"  Then  if  yon  remain  here  you  must  compose  yourself  to 
silence,  my  love.  I  think  1  see  a  change  coming  over  our 
patient  and  our  talk  may  disturb  her." 

"  Pray  Heaven  she  may  not  be  rising  into  another  parox- 


412  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

ysm  of  fever  and  delirium.  She  could  not  outlive  anothe* 
attack,"  said  Elfie,  quick  to  take  alarm. 

"Be  quiet,  please,"  whispered  Miss  Conyers. 

And  Elfie  sat  down  on  a  low  stool  at  the  foot  of  the  bed 
and  said  not  another  word. 

Miss  Conyers  took  her  place  in  the  large  easy  chair  beside 
the  head  of  the  bed,  from  which  position  she  could  easily 
watch  the  countenance  of  Erminie. 

The  clock  struck  three  and  the  morning  was  coming  on 
apace. 

All  was  cool  and  quiet  in  the  room ;  and  another  hour 
passed  slowly  by ;  arid  in  the  sweet  light  of  the  early  dawn 
the  night  taper  on  the  hearth  burned  dimly. 

Miss  Conyers  arose  and  put  it  out.  And  then  she  went 
to  the  windows  and  opened  them  all  to  let  in  the  light  and 
air  of  the  lovely  summer  morning. 

Then  she -went  to  the  bedside  to  examine  the  condition  of 
her  charge.  And  she  saw  a  change  that  caused  her  heart  to 
leap  for  joy !  a  change  for  the  better,  slight,  but  so  decided 
that  she  knew  the  crisis  had  passed  favorably — that  physi- 
cians and  friends  had  all  really  been  mistaken — that  youth 
and  constitution  had  conquered,  and  that  she,  whom  they 
had  all  called  the  "  dying  girl,"  was  about  to  recover. 

True,  Ermiaie  lay  as  still-  as  she  had  lain  for  twenty-four 
hours ;  but  not  as  cold  or  death-like.  Her  face  was  calm  ; 
her  flesh  was  soft,  warm  and  moist ;  and  her  breathing  was 
low,  gentle  and  regular. 

"  Thank  God,  thank  God !  "  breathed  Britomarte,  sink- 
ing on  her  knees  to  offer  up  this  ovation  of  gratitude. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  murmured  Elfie. 

"  SHE  WILL  LIVE  !  "  joyfully  exclaimed  Britomarte,  rising 
from  her  knees. 

"  Oh,  thank  Heaven  !  Oh,  what  a  happiness  for  Justin 
and  for  us  all  !  "  exclaimed  Elfie,  in  full  sympathy. 

"  But  now,  my  dear,"  said  Miss  Conyers,  "  I  must  retire 


ELFIE'S    VISION.  413 

a  little  from  the  bedside.  Her  coma  has  passed  into  health- 
ful sleep,  from  which  she  will  presently  awake.  And  when 
she  does  awake,  she  must  not,  just  at  first,  see  me,  whom 
she  is  not  prepared  to  see  by  her  bedside.  The  surprise 
might  hurt  her." 

"  Certainly,  I  will  take  your  place  here,"  answered  Elfie. 

And  they  were  about  to  effect  the  change,  when  a  sweet, 
low  voice  stole  on  their  ears : 

"  Britomarte,  dear  Britomarte,  is  that  you,  love  ?  When 
did  you  arrive  ?  " 

And  calmly,  sweetly,  naturally,  Erminie  turned  her  gentle 
eyes  and  held  out  her  thin  hand  to  welcome  her  friend. 

"  My  own  best  loved,  my  darling,  my  angel,  T  am  so  happy 
to  see  you  better,"  murmured  Miss  Conyers,  with  tremulous 
tones  and  tearful  eyes. 

"  And  I — I  am  so  very  glad  to  see  you,  too.  Have 
the  servants  attended  to  your  wants  and  made  you  comfort- 
able ?  Is  your  room  arranged  to  your  liking  ?  "  affection- 
ately inquired  Erminie,  whose  first  thoughts  on  recovering 
her  consciousness  were  for  the  welfare  of  others.  Her  voice 
was  faint,  but  clear  and  calm  and  well  sustained  as  she 
spoke. 

"  They  have  made  me  very  comfortable,  dear  girl.  Don't 
disquiet  yourself,"  replied  Miss  Conyers,  tenderly  stroking 
Erminie's  hair. 

"  I  know  the  best  regulated  households  will  get  out  of 
order  when  the  mistress  is  ill.  And  I  have  been  very  ill ; 
but,  thank  Heaven,  I  am  better  now." 

"  Yes,  thank  Heaven,  you  are  better  now,  sweet  friend." 

"  And  you  are  sure  you  have  not  been  neglected  ?  " 

Quite  sure,  dear.     You  know  that  Elfie  has  been  '  act- 
ing '  mistress  during  your  illness." 

"  Yes, 'but  I  know  that  dear  Elfie  has  been  with  me  all  the 
time  in  this  room.  Whenever  I  have  had  a  glimpse  of  con- 
sciousness I  have  seen  her  by  my  bed.  Dear  Elfie  ! "  con- 


414  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

tinned  Erminie,  turning  to  her  nurse — "  dear,  dear  Elfie, 
how  shall  I  ever  be  grateful  enough  to  you  ?  " 

«  There  shall  he  no  such  word  as  « grateful '  between  you 
and  me,  Erminie.  Or,  if  there  must  be,  it  is  I  who  must  be 
grateful — first  to  the  Lord  for  giving  me  so  dear  a  friend 
and  continuing  her  to  me ;  and  next  to  you  for  your  love 
since  childhood,  and  your  protection  since  the  war." 

"  Don't  say  that,  Elfie,"  said  Erminie. 

"Oh,  my  darling,  I  am  so  rejoiced  that  you  are  bet- 
ter!" exclaimed  Elfie. 

"  So  am  I,"  said  Erminie,  frankly.  "  I  have  something 
to  live  for  now.  And  I  had  rather  live,  if  it  please  the 
Lord.  My  father  is  living" 

As  Erminie  spoke  these  last  four  inexplicable  words,  Elfie 
started  violently,  and  even  Britomarte  changed  countenance. 
They  were  both  alarmed.  They  both  thought  that  Erminie 
had  been  talking  too  much  and  had  become  dangerously 
excited,  and  that  another  paroxysm  of  fever  and  delirium 
was  imminent. 

But  this  was  not  so.  With  Erminie  convalescence  had 
set  in  strongly  and  decidedly,  supported  by  her  young  and 
vigorous  constitution.  And  when  the  two  girls  looked  again 
at  Erminie  they  were  reassured  by  lier  perfect  ease  and 
quietness. 

"  Did  you  hear  me  say,  girls,  that  my  dear  father  is  liv- 
ing ?  "  she  calmly  inquired. 

"  Yes,"  said  Miss  Conyers,  speaking  with  an  apparent 
composure  that  was  very  far  from  her  real  condition — "  yes  ; 
but  why  do  you  think  so  ? — I  mean,  how  do  you  know  it  ?  " 

"  I  will  tell  you,  dear,  some  other  time.  Now  I  do  not 
feel  equal  to  the  theme.  And  besides — Elfie,  dear,"  she 
said,  turning  to  her  nurse,  "  I  am  so  hungry." 

It  was  a  "word  and  a  blow,"  for  before  Erminie  had 
finished  speaking  Elfie  had  whisked  from  the  room. 

And  in  ten  minutes  she  returned  with  a  little  tray  cov- 


ELF  IE  'S     VISION.  415 

ered  with  a  white  napkin,  and  a  cup  of  weak  green  tea,  and 
a  round  of  delicate  brown  toast. 

Erminie  drank  the  tea  with  a  great  enjoyment,  and  even 
ate  a  morsel  of  the  toast. 

"  I  could  drink  another,  only  I  do  not  think  it  would  he 
prudent,  and  so  I  will  refrain,"  she  said,  as  she  gently 
pushed  away  the  tray." 

"No,  it  would  not  he  prudent,  dear.  When  the  doctor 
comes,  we  will  ask  what  you  may  take,  and  how  much  of  it. 
And  I  only  hope  he  may  say  you  may  eat  and  drink  as 
much  as  ever  you  like  of  whatever  you  fancy,"  said  Elfie, 
as  she  removed  the  little  service. 

"Elfie,  darling,  did  I  dream  I  saw,  or  did  I  really  see  my 
dear  brother  Justin  by  my  bed  ?  "  inquired  Erminie,  with 
an  effort  at  recollection. 

"  You  really  saw  him,  love.  He  is  in  the  house,"  replied 
Elfie,  very  much  relieved  to  find  the  way  opened  so  easily 
for  introducing  Justin,  without  too  greatly  surprising 
Erminie  in  her  weak  condition. 

"  I  thought  so.  I  had  glimpses  of  consciousness  when  I 
saw  you  by  my  bed,  and  that  did  not  perplex  me,  because  I 
knew,  of  course,  that  you  were  always  here.  But  some- 
times, in  those  same  glimpses,  I  seemed  to  see  Justin,  and 
before  I  could  confirm  the  impression,  I  was  snatched  away 
again  from  all  knowledge  of  surrounding  things.  When 
did  he  come?" 

"  Yesterday,  a  few  hours  before  Britomarte's  arrival,"  said 
Elfie. 

"  It  is  very  early  in  the  morning  now  ? "  inquired 
Erminie. 

"  The  sun  is  just  rising." 

"And  Justin  is  not  up  yet.  When  he  rises,  let  him 
know  that  I  want  to  see  him.  And  now  I  must  rest, 
please,"  said  Erminie. 

Britomarte  and  Elfie  between  them  raised  her  up.     Bri- 


416  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

tomarte  supported  her,  while  Elfie  turned  and  beat  up  the 
pillows,  and  straightened  the  sheet.  And  then  they  laid 
her  comfortably  down,  and  made  all  tidy  around  her  while 
she  fell  asleep. 

Then  Catherine  was  called  to  watch  the  sleeper,  while 
Britomarte  and  Elfie  went  to  make  their  morning  toilets, 
and  to  take  the  early  breakfast  of  which  they  stood  so  much 
in  need. 

Meanwhile  the  news  of  Erminie's  convalescence  spread 
through  the  house,  filling  every  heart  with  surprise  and  joy, 
for  every  member  of  the  household  dearly  loved  the  amiable 
young  mistress. 

Old  Bob,  taking  up  "  Mr.  Justin's  "  hot  water,  gladdened 
the  brother's  heart  with  the  intelligence  of  his  sister's 
rescue  from  the  grave. 

And  Colonel  Rosenthal  hastened  through  his  morning 
exercises,  and  hurried  down  into  the  library,  where  he  found 
Britomarte  and  Elfie  at  breakfast. 

"  Is  it  true  ?  "  he  eagerly  inquired,  as  he  joined  them,  and 
before  even  tendering  the  conventional  "  Good  morning." 

"  Thank  Heaven,  yes.  All  danger  is  past,"  replied  Bri- 
tomarte. 

"  Has  the  doctor  said  so  ?  " 

"The  doctor  has  not  been  here  this  morning.  But  it 
needs  no  doctor  to  tell  that  Erminie  is  raised  from  death," 
said  Elfie. 

"  Can  I  see  her  now  ?  "  inquired  Justin. 

"  She  knows  you  are  here.  She  has  asked  to  see  you  as 
soon  as  you  should  be  up  and  dressed.  But  she  is  sleeping 
now,  and  so  you  must  wait  until  she  wakes.  Meanwhile, 
you  had  better  draw  up  your  chair  and  take  breakfast 
with  us." 

Justin  followed  this  advice  and  seated  himself  at  the 
table. 

Domestic  affairs  were  administered  in  a  very  easy,  not 
to  say  loose  manner,  since  the  illness  of  Erminie. 


ELFIE'S    VISION.  417 

The  members  of  the  family  and  the  guests  came  down  to 
breakfast  when  they  were  ready,  and  ate  it  when  it  was 
prepared,  without  waiting  for  others. 

Thus  it  happened  that  our  family  party  were  half  through 
with  the  morning  meal  before  Major  Fielding  and  Captaia 
Ethel  made  their  appearance. 

Hot  coffee  and  hot  chops  were  ordered  for  the  new 
comers,  who,  after  the  morning  greetings,  took  their  places 
at  the  table,  and  the  meal  progressed. 

Major  Fielding  and  Captain  Ethel  were  then  made  happy 
with  the  news  of  Erminie's  convalescence. 

"  And  the  doctor  is  sure  that  all  danger  is  past  ?  "  in- 
quired Major  Fielding. 

"  We  are  sure  that  all  danger  is  past,  but  the  doctor  has 
not  seen  her  this  morning,"  said  Miss  Conyers. 

"  I  humbly  beg  your  pardon,  Miss,"  said  old  Bob,  who 
was  waiting  on  the  table.  "  I  humbly  beg  your  pardon, 
Miss,  but  the  doctor  have  seen  her  this  morning.  He  have 
been  here  airly,  very  airly  indeed,  Miss — in  fact,  before 
day." 

"  Indeed  !  "  exclaimed  Miss  Conyers,  whose  memory  im- 
mediately reverted  to  Elfie's  dream,  or  vision,  and  her  own 
— Britomarte's — version  of  it. 

"  Yes,  indeed,  Miss.  He  rousened  me  up  outen  my  sleep 
to  let  him  in." 

Miss  Conyers  here  looked  archly  at  Elfie,  whose  face  ex- 
hibited a  curiously  blended  expression  of  mirth,  relief  and 
mortification ;  for  she  was  struck  with  the  ludicrous  aspect 
the  affair  now  assumed,  and  she  was  glad  to  have  a  super- 
natural mystery  cleared  up ;  but  she  was  also  ashamed  of 
the  part  she  had  played  in  the  farce. 

"  Do  you  know  at  what  precise  hour  the  doctor  came  ?  " 
inquired  Miss  Conyers. 

"  Yes,  Miss.     It  must  abeen  'bout  'tween  one  and  two 
o'clock.     Way  I  know  it  is  this  :     Just  arter  he  came  down 
26 


418  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

stairs,  and  I  let  him  out  ag'in,  I  heerd  the  hall  clock  strike 
two." 

"  How  long  do  you  suppose  he  was  up  stairs  ?  "  inquired 
Miss  Conyers. 

"  Well,  nigh  upon  an  hour  I  should  say,  Miss.  You  see 
I  kept  awake  to  let  him  out." 

Britomarte  looked  at  Elfie  and  burst  into  an  irrepressible 
fit  of  laughter. 

Elfie  pouted,  sulked,  and  finally  caught  the  infection  and 
laughed  heartily  for  company. 

"  There  seems  to  be  some  joke  here  that  we  of  the  mas- 
culine persuasion  are  shut  out  from  enjoying.  Pray,  may 
I,  without  indiscretion,  inquire  into  its  nature  ? "  asked 
Major  Fielding. 

And  Justin  and  Ethel,  by  their  looks  at  least,  seconded 
the  motion. 

"It. is  Elfie's  secret,"  laughed  Miss  Conyers. 

"  Well,  you  may  tell  it,  Britomarte,"  laughed  also  Elfie. 

"  It  seems,  then,"  said  Miss  Conyers,  "  that  this  young 
lady  had  the  watch ;  that,  wearied  out  with  many  days  of 
lost  rest,  she  fell  asleep  at  her  post ;  and,  having  indulged 
in  new  cheese  for  supper,  she  had  the  nightmare  ;  and  so, 
when  the  doctor  paid  his  nocturnal  visit,  she  took  him  for 
the  Rebel  General  Eastworth,  and  because  she  couldn't 
wake,  imagined  that  he  had  chloroformed  her  to  prevent  her 
giving  the  alarm." 

And  here  Major  Fielding  burst  into  a  laugh,  in  which  he 
was  joined  by  Justin,  Ethel,  Britomarte  and  even  Elfie. 

But  then  their  hearts  were  lightened  of  so  gi^at  a  load 
that  it  was  easy  to  rouse  them  to  laughter. 

After  breakfast,  Major  Fielding  and  Captain  Ethel, 
knowing  that  they,  in  any  case,  would  not  be  permitted  to 
see  Miss  Eosenthal  that  day,  and  feeling  relieved  of  all 
anxiety  on  her  account,  went  out  to  take  a  walk,  and  trans- 
act some  business  that  had  been  neglected  during  Ermmie'a 
illnesr 


ELFIE'S    VISION.  419 

As  soon  as  Erminie  was  awake,  and  had  been  refreshed 
by  ablutions  and  a  change  of  dress,  Justin  was  summoned 
to  her  room. 

He  found  her  lying  on  her  bed,  with  her  head  raised  by 
many  pillows,  looking  wan,  fair  and  transparent,  and  yet  so 
much  better  than  she  had  seemed  the  day  before. 

Repressing  his  strong  feelings  he  advanced  to  her  bed- 
side, stooped  over  her  and  kissed  her  gently,  saying  softly  : 

"  My  dear  Erminie  !  my  dear,  dear  sister  !  how  thankful 
to  Heaven  I  am  to  find  you  so  much  improved." 

She  put  her  arms  around  his  neck,  and  drew  him  closer 
to  her  heart,  and  returned  his  fond  kiss ;  but  all  in  silence. 

Very  quiet  was  the  interview  between  this  devoted 
brother  and  sister. 

"  I  am  so  happy  having  you  here,  sitting  by  me  and  hold- 
ing my  hand,"  whispered  Erminie,  with  her  fingers  clasped 
in  his. 

"And  I  am  so  happy  to  be  here,  and  to  see  you  so  much 
better,"  murmured  Justin. 

"  When  you  left  us  you  wore  a  captain's  straps ;  now 
you  wear  the  colonel's  eagle,"  said  Erminie,  proudly. 

"  Yes,  dear  sister  ;  and  my  greatest  pride  in  wearing  them 
is  that  they  give  you  pleasure." 

"  You  will  have  a  general's  star  before  long. 

"  I  will  try  to  earn  them  for  your  sake,  sweet  sister." 

"  Have  you  seen  much  of  Britomarte  ?  " 

"Yes,  dear." 

"  Do  you  know  where  she  lives,  what  she  does  ?  " 

"  She  has  told  me  nothing,  dear,  of  her  residence  or  oc- 
cupation. She  keeps  her  secret,"  answered  Justin,  rather 
evasively. 

But  Erminie  was  not  extreme  to  mark  the  flaws  in  his 
reply.  She  started  another  subject. 

"  Justin,"  she  said,  "  I  am  sure  our  dear  father  lives." 

"Heaven  grant  that  he  may,  my  dear,"  said  Justin, 


420  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

humoring  what  he  supposed  to  be  the  fancy  of  a  weak 
invalid,  but  recollecting  with  a  pang  the  body  removed 
from  its  humble  grave  on  the  battle  field  of  Bull  Eun,  and 
interred  in  the  family  burial  lot  in  the  cemetery  at  Wash- 
ington. 

I  am  not  strong  enough  now  to  tell  you  how  I  know  this ; 
but  I  will  explain  it  in  a  day  or  two." 

"  You  shall  take  your  own  time,  love,"  said  Justin. 

So  quietly  they  conversed  together  until  the  entrance  of 
the  doctor. 

He  had  been  received  by  poor,  old,  stupid  Frederica,  who 
had  omitted  to  tell  him  the  good  news  about  his  patient, 
probably  under  the  impression  that  he  was  fully  aware  of 
Erminie's  condition.  And  he  had  not  made  the  usual  in- 
quiry of  "  How  is  Miss  Kosenthal  this  morning  ?  "  because 
he  shrunk  from  asking  the  question  until  he  should  reach  the 
sick  room.  He  had  not  seen  the  other  members  of  the 
family,  and  so  he  came  into  Erminie's  presence  all  unen- 
lightened as  to  the  favorable  change  in  her  condition. 

And  the  first  thing  he  saw  was  Erminie,  propped  up  on 
pillows,  conversing  cheerfully  with  her  brother. 

"  Bless  *is  !  here  is  a  change  !  "  he  exclaimed,  with  a 
smile,  as  he  walked  up  to  the  bedside.  "  How  are  we  this 
morning  ?  "  he  asked,  taking  the  chair  vacated  for  him  by 
Justin,  and  feeling  the  pulse  of  his  patient. 

"  Getting  well  as  fast  as  possible,  Doctor,"  smiled  Er- 
minie. 

"  Yes,  yes,  we  are  getting  well  fast !  "We  can  relish  a 
little  chicken  broth  this  morning,  can  we  not  ?  " 

"  I  think  we  can,"  she  answered. 

"  And  a  half  a  glass  of  port  wine.  And  to-morrow  it  may 
be  a  whole  glass." 

Erminie  nodded. 

"  She  will  require  no  more  medicine,  only  careful  nursittg 
and  dieting,"  said  the  doctor,  turning  to  Justin. 


ELF IE' s    VISION.  421 

*  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  you  say  so,  Doctor  Burney.  Bid 
you  see  indications  of  this  favorable  change  when  you  visited 
her  early  this  morning  ?  " 

"Early  this  morning?  I  have  not  been  here  before  this 
morning,"  said  the  doctor,  in  some  surprise. 

"  Well,  then,  in  the  night,  perhaps,  I  should  rather  say ; 
as  it  was  but  a  little  past  one  o'clock  when  you  called,"  said 
Justin,  correcting  himself. 

"  I  called  !  "  repeated  the  doctor. 

"  Between  one  and  two  in  the  night,"  explained  Justin. 

"  My  dear  sir,  you  are  mistaken  !  I  have  not  been  here 
since  six  last  evening,"  said  the  doctor. 

"  Indeed !  Then  who "  began  Justin ;  but  he  imme- 
diately caught  up  his  words.  Here  was  a  mystery ;  but  it 
would  never  do  to  worry  Erminie's  mind  with  it.  So  he 


"Whatever  could  have  made  you  think  I  was  here  in  the 
night  ?  "  inquired  the  doctor. 

"  It  was  a  mistake,  either  of  mine  or  somebody  else's," 
evasively  replied  Justin. 

"  But  who  said  I  was  here  ?  "  persisted  the  doctor. 

"  One  of  the  servants,  I  believe,  fancied  that  you  had 
called." 

"  Which  one  ?  " 

"  Old  Bob." 

"  Oh,  ah,  he  dreamed  it !  I  was  six  miles  from  here  be- 
tween one  and  two  o'clock.  I  was  out  at  a  diabolical  old 
place  called  Witch  Elms,  attending  the  death-bed  of  an  an- 
tediluvian old  woman,  named  Miss  Pole." 

While  Colonel  Rosenthal  and  Doctor  Burney  conversed 
together,  Erminie  listened  attentively,  turning  towards  each 
as  he  spoke.  Occasionally  an  arch  smile  played  over  her 
expressive  features,  as  though  she  thought  she  could,  if  she 
pleased,  explain  the  mystery  that  so  puzzled  her  physician 
and  her  brother.  But  when  she  heard  the  name  of  the  old 
lady  at  Witch  Elms,  she  said : 


422  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

"I  knew  Miss  Pole  slightly.  She  was  the  great  grand- 
aunt  of  my  dear  friend,  Miss  Conyers.  I  called  at  Witch 
Elms  once.  The  reminiscence  is  not  a  pleasant  one.  Still 
I  hope  the  old  lady  was  well  prepared  for  the  last  great 
change." 

"  I  doubt  it,"  said  the  doctor.  "  She  died  very  much  as  I 
imagine  she  had  lived.  And  she  left  me  two  very  strange 
commissions.  The  first  was  to  deliver  into  the  hands  of 
Britomarte  Conyers  a  certain  packet  not  to  be  opened  until 
after  her  funeral.  The  second  was  to  forbid  Miss  Conyers 
from  attending  that  funeral.  I  shall  discharge  both,  before 
leaving  the  house  this  morning." 

"  Strange  commissions,  indeed.  But  then  Miss  Pole  was 
a  very  strange  woman." 

"  Yes.  And  now,  my  dear  Miss  Kosenthal,  I  think  you 
have  talked  long  enough.  A  new  convalescent,  like  a  new- 
born babe,  has  but  two  great  duties  to  perform — to  eat  and 
sleep  alternately.  Here  comes  our  good  Catherine  with  your 
chicken  broth.  So  we  will  now  leave  you  to  discuss  that, 
the  most  wholesome  subject  that  can  occupy  your  thoughts 
just  now. 

And  so  saying,  the  doctor  smiled  and  bowed  and  walked 
out  of  the  room,  accompanied  by  Justin. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 


BOB'S     SPECTRE. 


It  was  about  to  speak  when  the  cook  crew, 
And  then  it  started  like  a  guilty  thing 
Upon  a  fearful  summons. — SHAKSPEAEE. 


"  COME  into  the  library,  if  you  please,  Dr.  Burney.  I 
wish  to  send  for  old  Bob,  and  confront  him  with  you,  and 
clear  up  this  mystery  of  the  midnight  visitor,"  said  Justin, 
leading  the  way  to  the  favorite  room. 


BOB'S    SPECTRE.  423 

"  Nonsense,  my  young  friend.  There  is  no  mystery  in 
the  matter.  Our  honest  old  Bob  supped  off  pork  chops  and 
had  the  nightmare  and  dreamed  of  a  visitor/'  laughed  the 
doctor,  as  he  followed  the  colonel. 

"  These  two  persons  of  very  opposite  characters  and  posi- 
tions must  have  had  the  nightmare  at  the  same  time  and 
dreamed  the  same  dream/'  said  Justin,  as  he  opened  the  li- 
brary door. 

When  the  two  gentlemen  entered  this  favorite  room,  they 
found  Britomarte  and  Elfie,  waiting  for  the  termination  of 
the  doctor's  visit  to  Erminie  before  they  should  return  to  her 
side. 

They  now  arose  and  received  the  doctor's  greetings  and 
congratulations  upon  the  convalescence  of  their  friend,  and 
then  they  were  about  to  withdraw,  when  Justin  stopped 
them. 

"  Remain,  if  you  please,  for  a  few  moments,  young  ladies. 
I  am  about  to  call  up  old  Robert  and  confront  him  with  Dr. 
Burney  and  investigate  this  affair  of  the  nocturnal  visitor," 
he  said. 

"  But  I  thought  that  was  already  settled.  It  was  the 
doctor  who  came  in  the  night,  was  it  not  ?  "  inquired  Bri- 
tomarte. 

"No,  my  dear  Miss  Conyers,  whoever  it  was,  it  was  not 
the  doctor,"  replied  the  gentleman  in  question. 

Justin  rang  the  bell,  and  old  Bob  answered  it. 

"  Sit  down,  doctor.  Young  ladies,  pray  resume  your 
seats,"  said  Justin,  as  he  set  the  example  by  placing 
himself  in  a  chair. 

Bob  stood  in  the  door,  waiting  orders. 

"  Come  here,"  said  Colonel  Rosenthal. 

The  man  obeyed,  looking  puzzled  and  frightened  and 
very  much  like  a  prisoner  who  was  arraigned  and  who 
expected  to  be  found  guilty. 

"  Now  tell  us  who  it  was  that  you  let  in  last  night." 


424  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

"  The  doctor  there,  sar,"  answered  Bob,  without  a  mo- 
ment's hesitation. 

"  My  good  friend,  you  never  were  more  mistaken  in  your 
life.  I  can  prove  an  alibi.  I  was  six  miles  from  the  spot 
at  the  hour  you  admitted  the  visitor,"  said  Dr.  Burney. 

Old  Bob's  jaws  dropped  and  his  eyes  opened. 

"  Is  that  so,  sar  ?  "  he  asked,  in  a  piteous  tone. 

"  Yes,  that  is  so.  Now  try  to  recollect  yourself  and  re- 
flect whether  you  did  not  fall  asleep  and  dream  the  whole 
thing." 

"  No,  marser !  no,  sar !  it  might  a  been  de  debbil,  or  it 
might  a  been  a  ghost,  or  it  might  a  been  a  token  of  my 
death,  but  it  warn't  no  dream.  Dis  chile  war  too  wide 
awake  for  dat ! "  exclaimed  Bob,  as  his  hair  seemed  to 
straighten  dut  with  a  retrospective  terror. 

"  Now  see  you  here,  Bob.  Look  at  me,  and  tell  me 
really  whether  the  person  you  admitted,  or  think  you 
admitted,  resembled  me,"  said  Dr.  Burney. 

"  Lor5  forgive  me,  Marse  Doctor,  now  I  does  look  at  you, 
sar,  and  calls  up  my  memorandum,  it  seems  to  me  as  the — 
the — other  one — was  more  taller  and  more  darker  com- 
plected than  you  is,  sar.  It  must  a  been  a  spirit,  sar,  come 
to  warn  me  as  my  days  war  numbered/'  shuddered  the  old 
man. 

"Fudge,  old  fellow  !  All  our  days  are  numbered,  for  that 
matter. — Colonel "— and  here  the  doctor  turned  to  address 
Justin — "  you  said  that  there  was  another  witness  in  this 
case — who  was  it  ?  " 

"Elfie,"  said  Justin,  "have  I  your  permission  to 
speak?" 

"  Yes,  certainly,"  replied  the  young  lady  addressed. 

"  Well,  then,  Mrs.  Goldsborough  was  the  other  witness. 
At  the  same  hour  at  which  old  Bob  admitted  the  mysterious 
visitor,  Mrs.  Goldsborough  was  watching  by  the  bed  of  my 
sister,  when  she  was  suddenly  aware  of  the  presence  of  a 


BOB'S    SPECTRE.  425 

man  by  her  side.  Taking  him  at  first  to  be  myself,  she  was 
about  to  speak,  when,  on  looking  closer,  she  recognized,  or 
thinks  she  recognized,  the  Rebel  General  Eastworth,  sup- 
posed to  have  been  killed  at  Charleston." 

"  I  am  quite  certain  I  recognized  him,"  put  in  Elfie. 

"  Well,  then,  she  is  quite  certain  she  recognized  him. 
She  was  at  first  so  stupefied  with  astonishment  that  she 
could  not  call  out.  And  before  she  could  recover  her  self- 
possession  and  give  the  alarm,  he  applied  chloroform  to  her 
nostrils,  and  deprived  her  of  the  power  of  moving  and 
speaking,  although  not  of  hearing  and  seeing." 

"  I  heard  and  saw  everything  that  occurred  in  the  first 
few  minutes  of  his  presence  there,"  added  Elfie. 

"  She  asserts  that  he  spoke  to  my  sister,  succeeded  even  in 
arousing  her  attention,  and  calling  her  back  to  full,  though 
transient  consciousness,  and  gaining  her  forgiveness  and  her 
blessing." 

"  And  by  that  time,"  added  Elfie,  the  chloroform  that  he 
had  secured  under  my  nostrils  so  completely  overcame  me, 
that  I  knew  nothing  more  until  Britomarte  aroused  me." 

"  And  is  that  all  ?  "  inquired  the  doctor. 

"  Yes,  and  enough,  too,  I  should  think,"  answered  Elfie. 

"  And  what  is  your  opinion  of  all  this,  Colonel  ? " 
inquired  the  doctor. 

"  I  am  perplexed  beyond  measure,  and  as  yet  can  form 
no  possible  opinion.  General  Eastworth  has  been  in 
Charleston,  South  Carolina,  for  the  last  twelve  months. 
He  is  reported  to  have  been  killed  within  the  last  week.  I 
can  make  nothing  of  it." 

"  /  am  not  perplexed.  /  can  make  something  of  it.  I 
believe  that  General  Eastworth  is  in  Washington  city  in 
disguise,  that  he  has  become  acquainted  with  the  notorious 
fact  of  Erminie's  illness,  and  also  with  the  less  well  known 
facts  of  the  doctor's  frequent  night  calls,  and  old  Bob's 
position  in  the  front  hall,  to  open  the  front  door  at  all  hours, 


426  HOW      HE      WON     HE  R,. 

and  I  believe  that  he  boldly  ventured  in  to  see  his  once 
betrothed.  Bosh !  who  do  you  think  is  a  fool  ?  Didn't  I 
see  and  hear  him  with  my  own  eyes  and  ears  ?  True,  I 
was  staggered  in  my  conviction  of  identity  when  old  Bob 
insisted  that  it  was  the  doctor  he  let  in ;  but  now  that  the 
doctor  says  it  was  not  he,  I  am  convinced  it  was  General 
Eastworth,  and  that  General  Eastworth  is  now  in  Washing- 
ton city,  as  a  spy,  most  likely,"  said  Elfie,  with  great  posi- 
tiveness. 

"  Pray,  have  you  read  the  morning  papers,  Miss — I  beg 
your  pardon — Mrs.  Goldsborough  ?  "  emphatically  inquired 
the  doctor. 

« I  have  not,"  said  Elfie  ;  «  why  ?  " 

"  Nor  you,  colonel  ?  "  he  next  asked  of  Justin. 

"  I  have  glanced  over  them  only.  We  have  all  been  too 
much  occupied  with  my  sister  to  read  them  with  much 
attention  or  interest,"  replied  Justin. 

"Then  probably  this  little  paragraph,  concerning  the 
gentleman  we  have  been  discussing,  has  escaped  your  atten- 
tion." 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  inquired  Elfie. 

"  Bead  it,"  said  Justin. 

The  doctor  opened  the  paper  he  held  in  his  hand  and 
read: 

"THE  EEBEL  GENERAL  EASTWORTH. — The  report  of  the 
death  of  this  notorious  leader  is  undoubtedly  well  founded. 
The  Reverend  Doctor  Kobinson,  returned  from  Charleston 
under  a  flag  of  truce,  confirms  the  tale.  On  the  morning 
of  the  twelfth  instant  General  Eastworth,  while  riding 
along  the  eastern  defences  of  the  city,  was  instantly  killed 
by  a  shell  from  one  of  our  gun-boats." 

"  There,"  said  the  doctor,  folding  up  the  paper — "  what 
do  you  think  of  that  ?  " 

No  one  answered.     Every  one  seemed  dumb-foundered. 

Old  Bob  was  the  first  to  break  the  silence.  Seeing 
amazement  on  every  face,  he  gasped  out : 


BOB'S    SPECTRE.  427 

"  Wha — wha — wha — wha — what  does  all  dat  mean  ?" 

"It  means  that  you  let  in  a  ghost,  Uncle  Bob!"  ex- 
claimed Elfie,  mischievously. 

"Wha — wha — wha — what  ghost?"  stammered  the  old 
man,  with  chattering  teeth,  starting  eyes,  and  ashen  cheeks. 

"The  ghost  of  the  Eebel  General  Eastworth,  who  was 
killed  in  Charleston,"  said  Elfie. 

"  Oh,  my  Lor' !  my  Lor' !  my  Lor' !  I'm  a  dead  nigger  I" 
exclaimed  old  Boh,  with  all  the  superstitious  terrors  of  his 
race  strong  upon  him. 

"  You  may  leave  the  room,  Boh,"  said  Colonel  Eosenthal. 

And  the  old  man  hurried  away  to  tell  the  wonderful 
story  in  the  kitchen,  and  then  to  hetake  himself  to  his 
prayers. 

"  Now,  then,  Mrs.  Goldshorough,  what  do  you  say  ? " 
inquired  the  doctor. 

"I  say  that  I  am  of  the  same  opinion  still.  I  helieve 
that  story  of  General  Eastworth's  death  to  be  a  mere  canard, 
or  more  than  that,  a  stratagem  to  cover  his  surreptitious 
visit  to  Washington.  I  tell  you  I  saw  and  heard  him  with 
my  own  eyes  and  ears ;  and  I  am  willing  to  go  before  the 
provost  marshal  and  l6dge  the  information  under  oath,  that 
the  great  Eebel  general  was  in  Washington  city,  and  in 
this  house,  last  night  between  the  hours  of  one  and  two  ! 
If  you  think  my  story  wants  confirmation,  let  Justin  ques- 
tion his  sister  as  to  who  her  visitor  last  night  was.  I  was 
strongly  tempted  to  do  so  myself;  but  I  refrained  from  con- 
sideration for  Erminie's  weak  state.  But  let  Justin  ques- 
tion her  now." 

"  Thanks — no,  if  you  please,"  said  the  doctor,  emphati- 
cally— "  not  with  my  sanction.  Colonel  Eosenthal  and 
ladies,  I  must  earnestly  request  you  not  even  to  allude  to 
this  strange  event  in  my  patient's  hearing.  In  every  point 
of  view,  the  subject  would  be  a  dangerously  exciting  one  to 
her.  But  I  strongly  advise  you  to  have  the  cash-box  and 


428  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

plate  chest  examined,  and  a  detective  policeman  sent  for. 
With  all  respect  for  your  opinion,  Mrs.  Goldsborough,  I 
must  believe  that  an  accomplished  burglar  has  found  his 
way  into  the  house,  and  probably  effected  a  robbery." 

And  with  these  words  the  doctor  turned  to  Miss  Conyers, 
silently  placed  a  packet  and  letter  in  her  hands,  took  up 
his  hat,  shook  hands  with  his  friends,  and  went  away. 

"  It  will  do  no  harm  to  follow  his  advice,  Elfie,"  said 
Justin,  touching  the  bell  once  more.  "  We  will  see  if  there 
is  anything  missing.  If  there  has  been  a  robbery,  it  will 
be  clear  that  the  strange  visitor  was  a  burglar.  If  there 
has  been  no  robbery,  there  will  be  no  harm  in  your  going 
to  the  provost  marshal  and  giving  the  information  as  you 
suggest." 

Old  Frederica  answered  the  bell,  and  apologized  for  pre- 
senting herself  by  saying : 

"  If  you  please,  sir,  black  Bob,  he's  not  in  a  fit  state  to 
come ;  he's  perfectly  glowered  with  the  fright." 

"  Never  mind,  Frederica  ;  you'll  do.  We  have  reason  to 
suspect  that  a  robber  got  into  the  house  last  night.  Have 
you  missed  anything  ?  " 

"  Lor',  sir,  no — not  a  thing." 

"  Make  a  thorough  search ;  and  especially  make  a  careful 
examination  of  the  plate  chest ;  and  then  come  and  report 
to  me." 

Frederica  left  the  room  to  obey. 

And  then  the  group  broke  up. 

Justin  went  to  look  to  the  iron  chest  where  money  and 
documents  were  kept. 

Britomarte,  with  a  face  paler  than  usual,  withdrew  to 
examine  the  letter  and  parcel  placed  in  her  hands  by  the 
doctor. 

Elfie  went  back  to  the  chamber  of  Erminie. 

Meanwhile  a  thorough  search  was  made  of  the  premises. 
Not  an  article  was  missing.  No  robbery  had  been  perpe- 


BOB'S    SPECTRE.  429 

trated.  No  vestige  of  a  robber  was  to  be  found.  And  the 
mystery  thickened. 

When  Elfie  came  out  of  Erminie's  room,  she  found  Justin 
on  the  watch  for  her. 

"  Come  here,  my  dear  girl,"  he  whispered,  withdrawing 
her  out  of  earshot  of  Erminie's  attendants.  "  I  am  inclined 
to  be  of  your  opinion  in  this  matter.  The  result  of  our 
investigation  is  that  no  trace  of  a  burglar  can  be  found. 
Therefore  I  think  your  conjecture  as  to  the  presence  of 
General  Eastworth  in  the  city,  and  his  identity  with  the 
mysterious  visitor  of  last  night,  may  be  founded  in  truth. 
His  intimate  knowledge  of  the  interior  arrangements  of 
our  house  would  certainly  favor  his  visiting  it  in  that  secret 
manner. 

"  When  I  discovered  that  the  visitor  was  not  the  doctor, 
I  was  convinced  that  it  was  Eastworth  who  came.  I  have 
not  had  a  doubt  about  fye  matter  since,"  said  Elfie. 

"  Then  you  had  better  come  with  me  and  give  informa- 
tion at  the  provost  marshal's  office  directly." 

"  Bless  my  soul  and  body !  Well,  I  said  I  was  willing  to 
go,  and  I'll  go ;  but  now  it  comes  to  the  point  I  don't  like 
the  office  at  all,"  said  Elfie,  as  she  hurried  off  to  get  her 
bonnet  and  mantle. 

In  a  few  minutes  Justin  took  her  out  in  a  carriage  to  do 
the  disagreeable  duty  he  had  recommended.  They  were 
gone  but  an  hour,  at  the  end  of  which  Elfie  returned  in 
rather  a  bad  humor,  and  Justin  with  a  very  grave  face. 

They  had  both  been  subjected  to  a  close  cross  examina- 
tion. 

Elfie  threw  off  her  bonnet  and  mantle,  and  hurried  into 
the  room  of  Erminie,  whom1  she  found  quietly  sleeping. 

Catherine  had  the  watch. 

"  Where  is  Miss  Conyers  ?  "  inquired  Elfie. 

"  I  don't  know,  ma'am.  She  hasn't  been  in  this  room 
since  breakfast." 


430  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

«  Strange  !  I'll  go  and  look  for  her,"  said  Elfie,  risk  g. 
to  leave  the  chamber. 

But  at  the  door  she  met  Britomarte,  in  a  travelling 
dress,  and  looking  very  pale  and  haggard. 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  what  is  the  matter  ?  "  exclaimed 
Elfie,  starting  back. 

"  Is  Erminie  awake  ?  "  inquired  Miss  Conyers,  disregard- 
ing her  friend's  question. 

"  No  ;  but  what  is  the  matter  with  you,  Britomarte  ?  " 

"  I  have  had  news  that  will  compel  me  to  leave  you  to- 
day." 

"  To  leave  us  to-day  ! " 

"  Yes ;  but  I  must  wait  until  Erminie  awakes  to  take 
leave  of  her." 

"  Woman  of  mystery  !  what  is  your  news  and  where  are 
you  going?  "  exclaimed  Elfie,  half  in  pity  half  in  mirth. 

"  You  must  excuse  me  from  explaining,  Elfie.  You 
know,  for  I  have  told  you,  that  there  is  a  secret  in  my  life. 
You  must  respect  it,"  said  Britomarte,  gravely. 

"There  is  more  than  one  secret,  I  imagine.  Well,  I  will 
respect  them  all,  Britomarte,"  said  her  companion. 

While  they  spoke,  Erminie  awoke,  very  much  refreshed 
by  her  nap. 

"  How  do  you  feel,  dearest  ?  "  inquired  Miss  Conyers. 

"Very  well — full  of  returning  life.  But  you — you  look 
pale  and  sad,  Britomarte.  What  troubles  you  ?  "  anxiously 
inquired  Erminie. 

"  The  duty  of  leaving  you  immediately,  my  darling.  No, 
do  not  say  a  word  to  hinder  me,  love.  You  know  that 
nothing  but  the  most  absolute  necessity  could  induce  me  to 
go  now;  and  that  I  must  go," -said  Miss  Conyers,  seeing 
that  her  friend  was  about  to  expostulate. 

"  Well,  well,  I  must  submit,  I  suppose  !  but  you  will 
come  back  soon  ?"  sighed  Erminie. 

"  As  soon  as  possible,  love !    And  now  God  bless  you, 


BOB'S    SPECTRE.  481 

darling,  and  send  you  a  full  and  speedy  recovery  ! "  said 
Miss  Conyers,  stooping  and  kissing  her  friend. 

"  And  God  keep  you  in  all  your  ways,  my  best  beloved," 
breathed  Erminie,  returning  the  caress. 

"  Good  bye,  Elfie ! "  said  Britomarte,  as  she  wrung 
Elfrida's  hand  and  left  the  room. 

On  her  way  to  the  library  to  seek  Justin,  she  met  him  in 
the  hall. 

"  Good-bye,  Justin  ! "  she  exclaimed,  holding  out  her 
hand. 

"  What !  "  he  cried. 

"  Good-bye ! " 

"  You  don't  mean  it !  " 

"  Yes,  I  do ! " 

"Where  are  you  going?  " 

"About  my  business,  Justin,"  sadly  smiled  Miss  Con- 
yers. 

"  But— excuse  me  ! — What  business  ?  " 

"  That  is  my  secret,  if  you  please,  Justin." 

"  Pardon  my  impertinence,"  said  Colonel  Rosenthal,  with. 
a  mortified  air  ;  "  but  I  hoped  to  speak  to  you,  Britomarte, 
on  that  one  subject  which  day  and  night  has  occupied  my 
thoughts  since  I  first  met  you!"  he  said,  taking  her  hand 
and  seeking  to  detain  her. 

"  Let  that  subject  rest,  if  not  forever,  at  least  till  after 
the  war  is  over." 

"  And  then  ?  "' 

"  Then  we  may  neither  of  us  wish  to  resume  it." 

"  Britomarte,  are  you  not  wantonly  trifling  with  my 
happiness  and  yours  ?  " 

"I  have  no  time  for  'trifling'  of  any  sort.  It  would  be 
well,  besides,  if  we  thought  a  little  less  of  '  happiness,'  and  a 
little  more  of  duty.  Justin,  my  carriage  is  waiting  to  take 
me  to  the  station,  where  I  must  not  miss  the  train.  Good- 
bye!" said  Britomarte,  withdrawing  her  hand  from  his 
clasp. 


432  H  O  W      HE     \V  O  X      HER. 

"No,  let  me  see  you  to  the  station,  at  least,"  said  Justin, 
taking  his  hat,  opening  the  hall-door,  and  escorting  her  to 
the  carriage,  into  which  he  followed  her. 

They  caught  the  train  just  hefore  it  started. 

Miss  Conyers  had  no  luggage  but  a  hand-bag,  and  there- 
fore she  was  the  more  easily  enabled  to  get  into  her  seat  in 
the  ladies'  car  in  time. 

Justin  bade  her  a  hasty  adieu,  and  returned  home. 
****** 

As  soon  as  Erminie  was  convalescent  Justin  took  leave 
of  her  and  returned  to  his  regiment.  And  in  the  course 
of  a  few  weeks,  two  or  more  of  our  young  friends  went 
to  the  front — little  Mim  as  a  volunteer,  and  Mr.  Billingcoo 
as  a  drafted  man. 


CHAPTER  XL. 

ON    THE    BATTLE    FfELD. 

•TWHS  the  battle  field,  and  the  starless  night 

Hiftig  dark  o'er  tho  dead  and  the  dying, 
And  the  wind  passed  by,  with  a  dirge  and  a  moan, 

Where  the  youug  and  the  brave  were  lying. — L.  E.  L. 

IT  was  the  night  after  the  terrible  battle  of  Cold  Harbor. 
Both  armies  had  fallen  back.  The  dead  and  wounded  lay 
where  they  had  dropped.  Among  the  latter  was  Colonel 
Rosenthal,  who  had  been  struck  down  while  charging  in 
front  of  his  regiment.  Young  Wing,  at  the  hazard  of  life 
and  even  of  dearer  honor,  went  in  search  of  his  colonel. 
Wandering  in  the  darkness  over  that  field  of  blood,  he  came 
suddenly  upon  a  fallen  horse  and  rider,  and  knew  by  the 
instinct  of  affection  that  he  had  found  whom  he  sought. 

"  Is  that  you,  Wing  ? "  hoarsely  whispered  a  feeble 
voice,  as  the  young  officer  threw  himself  down  on  the 
ground. 


ON     THE     BATTLE      FIELD.  433 

"  Yes,  yes,  my  colonel,  it  is  I,"  sobbed  Wing. 
"  How  did  you  find  me,  my  boy,  on  this  cbaotic  field, 
tinder  this  dark  sky  ?  " 

"  How  ?  Oh,  how  does  the  faithful  dog  find  his  fallen 
master  amid  such  confusion  ?  I  saw  you  when  you  fell.  I 
noticed  where  you  lay.  I  could  not  come  to  you  in  the 
hurly-burly  of  that  charge — " 

— "  Ah  !  a  gallant  charge,  Wing !  a  glorious  charge  !  It 
was  fine  to  fall  in  such  a  charge  as  that !  " 

"  Yes,  my  Colonel.     But  I  have  come  to  help  you  now. 

How  can   I  do  so  ?     Where  are  you  hurt  ?  "  said  Wing, 

groping  about,  and  feeling  man  and  horse  under  his  hands. 

"I  do  not  know  where  I  am  hurt,  Wing.     But  the  horsa 

has  fallen  on  me,  partly,"  groaned  the  colonel. 

"  Stay  !  if  I  can  find  a  musket  or  a  carbine — and  there 
must  be  many  scattered  over  this  field — I  can  use  it  as  a 
lever  and  raise  the  weight  from  you,  my  Colonel,"  said 
Wing,  moving  about  in  search  of  the  instruments  required. 
In  his  motions  he  touched  with  his  feet  what  he  supposed 
to  be  the  dead  body  of  a  soldier.  And  he  elicited  a  deep 
prolonged  groan. 

"  Ah !  I  am  so  sorry  !  did  I  hurt  you  ?  "  tenderly  inquired 
Wing,  stooping  to  address  this  new  claimant  of  his  sym- 
pathy. 

"  Oh,  no — only  roused  me,"  moaned  the  wounded  boy. 
<l  Can  I  do  anything  for  you  ?  "  asked  Wing. 
« Water!  water!" 

Wing  had  a  canteen  filled  with  water,  and  he  took  the 
stopper  off  and  put  it  to  the  mouth  of  the  boy,  who  drank 
greedily. 

"  That  was  good !     Now  I  can  die  comfortably.     Friend, 
are  you  Yank,  or  Secesh  ?  " 
"  Yank.,"  said  Wing. 

"  Well,  never  mind.     What  are  we  fighting  for,  I  won- 
der ?     I'm  Secesh.      Put  your  hand — in  my  bosom,  Yank 
27 


434  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

Take  out  a  powder-flask  cover  that  you  will  find  there.     My 
sister  worked  it  and  gave  it  to  me  before  I  left  home  to  join 

the  army.     Keep  it,  Yank. " 

"  I  will  keep  it  for  your  sister  and  send  it  to  her  if  you 
will  tell  me  where  she  lives,"  said  Wing. 

"  Her  name  is  Ellen  Jenkins.  She  lives — "  And  here 
the  speaker's  voice  failed. 

"  She  lives —  ?  "  said  Wing,  listening  attentively. 

— "  In  Eich — in  "Eich — "  panted  the  dying  boy. 

Wing  snatched  a  flask  of  brandy  from  his  bosom  and 
placed  it  to  the  lips  of  the  young  soldier. 

Too  late  !  There  was  but  the  gurgling  death  rattle  in 
his  throat.  He  could  neither  swallow  nor  articulate. 

"Do  you  mean  to  say  that  she  lives  in  Eichmond?" 
gently  inquired  Wing,  taking  the  hand  of  the  boy,  who 
closed  his  fingers  upon  the  hand  of  Wing  and  nodded 
earnestly. 

And  the  next  moment  all  was  over. 

Wing  sighed  and  turned  the  young  soldier  on  his  back, 
and  straightened  out  his  limbs  and  closed  his  eyes,  placing 
two  pennies  upon  the  lids  to  keep  them  down. 

While  performing  these  last  offices  he  had  several  times 
touched  a  carbine  that  lay  beside  the  dead  boy. 

Now  he  took  it  up  and  returned  to  the  spot  where  Justin 
Eosenthal  lay  partly  under  the  burden  of  the  horse. 

"  Oh,  my  Colonel !  I  have  been  away  so  long !  But  I 
found  a  dying  soldier,  moaning  for  water,  before  I  found  the 
carbine.  And  I  had  to  minister  to  his  wants,  and  even 
receive  his  last  breath  and  close  his  eyes,  before  I  could 
come  back  to  you,"  said  Wing. 

"  You  were  right,  my  boy.  But  now  the  wind  has  risen 
a  little  and  blown  the  fog  away.  Can  you  see  where  to 
place  the  end  of  the  carbine  so  as  to  raise  the  weight  of  the 
horse  from  my  limbs  ?  " 

"  Yes,  my  Colonel,  I  can,"  said  Wing,  poking  the  end  of 


ON     THE     BATTLE     FIELD.  435 

the  weapon  under  the  body  of  the  horse  that  lay  directly 
across  one  of  Justin's  limbs,  and  prying  it  up  a  little  way. 

"  There — that  is  already  a  great  relief.  A  little  higher — 
raise  ii  a  little  higher,  Wing,  and  I  shall  be  able  to  draw 
my^imb  from  under  it  and  crawl  away,"  said  Justin. 

And  Wing  put  forth  all  his  strength,  and  pryed  up  the 
weight,  and  lifted  it  clear  of  the  crushed  limb  beneath  it, 
and  held  it  so,  until  Justin  Rosenthal  crawled  away. 

Then  Wing  let  the  dead  horse  drop  to  the  ground,  while 
he  rushed  to  his  colonel. 

A  danger  that  neither  had  dreamed  of  was  now  threaten- 
ing the  life  of  Justin  Kosenthal. 

It  appeared  that  the  Minie  ball  which  had  killed  his 
horse  under  him  had  also  passed  through  his  own  leg,  sever- 
ing some  important  vein  or  artery.  The  dead  weight  of  the 
horse  falling  upon  this  limb,  had  closed  the  orifice,  and 
stopped  the  bleeding.  But  now,  at  the  removal  of  the 
weight,  the  wound  burst  out  again,  and  the  life-stream  of 
the  man  was  running  fast  away.  He  lay  panting,  fainting, 
almost  dying,  when  Wing  came  up  to  him. 

"  My  Colonel !  oh,  what  is  the  matter  ?  "  inquired  Wing, 
in  a  voice  vibrating  with  anxiety. 

"  I  think  that  I  am  dying,  Wing.  But  come  here,  boy. 
Come  close.  Stoop  down  and  listen  to  me." 

"  But  what  is  it  ?  oh,  my  Colonel,  what  is  it  ?  Where  is 
your  wound  ?  What  can  I  do  for  you  ? "  wailed  Wing, 
weeping  like  a  woman  and  wringing  his  hands. 

"  I  think  that  the  femoral  artery  is  severed,  Wing,  and 
that  I  am  bleeding  to  death." 

"  Oh,  no,  no,  no  !  "  groaned  Wing. 

tl  Cease  lamenting,  dear  boy.  Mine  is  but  a  soldier's  fate. 
How  egotistical  to  bemoan  it.  Only  remember,  Wing? 
and  tell  my  dear  sister  that  I  fell  in  the  glorious  charge  of 
Wilson's  cavalry  at  Cold  Harbor." 

"  I  will  tell  her !     I  will  tell  her !    But  I  cannot  give  you 


436  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

np  !  I  WILL  not  give  you  up  !  You  must  not  die  !  You 
SHALL  not  die !  Where  is  this  severed  artery  ?  I  will 
pinch  it  together  with  my  fingers  until  I  stop  the  bleeding, 
and  I  will  hold  it  so  all  night  and  all  day,  and  many  nights 
and  days,  if  necessary,  until  surgical  relief  comes  to  you ! " 
cried  Wing. 

"Ah,  my  boy,  you  must  hurry  from  this  spot.  Every 
hour  that  you  stay  here  is  fraught  with  death.  You  are 
actually  within  the  rebel  lines,  Wing.  How  you  ever  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  here  undetected  I  cannot  imagine,  unless 
both  chance  and  the  darkness  of  the  night  favored  you. 
But  now,  my  boy,  you  must  receive  my  last  message  for  one 
I  love,  and  you  must  hurry  back  before  daylight  betrays 
you  to  the  enemy  and  to  captivity,"  said  Colonel  Eosenthal, 
gravely. 

"  Where  is  your  wound  ?  oh,  where  ?  Help  me  to  find 
it,  that  I  may  stanch  the  blood,"  said  Wing,  feeling  blindly 
about  the  body  of  his  colonel. 

"Well,  well,  here,  if* you  will  have  it.  Here,  in  my 
right  leg,"  answered  Justin,  in  a  voice  that  was  every 
instant  falling  fainter. 

Wing  felt  the  leg  of  the  trowsers  soaked  in  blood ;  he 
snatched  his  dagger  from  his  belt,  and  ripped  it  up,  so  as  to 
get  to  the  wound.  And  he  took  his  handkerchief,  and 
bound  it  around  the  limb  just  above  the  knee,  and  drew  it 
as  tight  as  possible,  and  tied  it  fast,  and  so  he  checked  the 
fast  flow  of  blood. 

"Thanks,  Wing.  Thanks,  my  dear  boy.  I  think  you 
have  helped  me  for  the  present.  Now  hear  my  last  message 
to  one  I  love,  and  then  turn  and  fly — save  yourself,"  said 
Justin,  solemnly. 

"Tell  me,  then,  your  last  message.  What  is  it?"  in- 
quired  Wing. 

"  Say  to  my  beloved  sister  that  I  fell  leading  on  my  regi- 
ment in  Wilson's  glorious  charge  at  Cold  Harbor.  Say  if 


ON     THE     BATTLE     FIELD.  437 

I  could  have  chosen  the  manner  of  my  death,  I  would  have 
chosen  this.  Bid  her  bestow  my  property  on  the  bereaved 
of  this  war — the  bereaved  of  both  sides.  For  the  widows 
and  orphans  and  old  mothers  of  the  rebel  soldiers  are  as 
much  to  be  pitied  as  those  of  our  own.  Bid  her,  when  the 
war  is  over,  to  open  wide  her  heart  and  home  for  the  return- 
ing prodigals.  Bid  her  do  all  she  can,  in  her  limited 
woman's  way,  to  heal  the  wounds  of  the  country,  to 
reconcile  enemies,  and  to  bring  back  peace.  And  give  her 
my  love  and  my  blessing.  Will  you  remember  to  deliver 
all  this  message,  Wing  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes !  I  will !  I  will !  But  is  this  the  only  message 
you  have  to  send  ?  "  sobbed  Wing. 

"  The  only  one,"  answered  Justin. 

"  And  is  there  no  other — no  other  that  you  remember  in 
this  awful  hour — none  to  whom  you  would  wish  to  send  a 
parting  word  ?  "  wept  Wing. 

"  None — there  is  none  ! "  answered  Justin  solemnly. 

"  No  woman  as  dear,  or  dearer  than  a  sister,  to  whom  you 
would  like  to  send  some — some  last  word  of  love  ?  oh, 
speak,  if  there  be,  and  I  will  bear  your  message  faithfully, 
sacredly,  silently,  until  I  meet  with  her  for  whom  it  ia  in- 
tended !  Oh,  think  !  oh,  speak !  is  there  none — none  but 
your  sister  to  whom  you  would  send  such  a  message  ? " 
pleaded  Wing. 

"  There  is  none  !  "  answered  Justin,  solemnly.  "Beyond 
this  field  of  blood,  there  is  none  but  my  sister  to  whom  I 
care  to  send  a  message." 

Wing  sat  down  and  wept  convulsively. 

After  a  little  while  Justin  put  out  his  hand,  and  taking 
that  of  Wing  pressed  it,  and  drew  it  to  his  lips  and  kissed  it, 
and  said : 

"  Britomarte  !  " 

With  a  violent  start  the  hand  was  snatched  away,  but 
almost  immediately  it  was  returned  and  re-clasped. 


488  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

"  Britomarte — now  in  this  supreme  hour — now,  with  my 
life-blood  oozing  slowly  but  surely  away — with  my  hours 
nay,  my  very  minutes  mumbered — may  I  venture  to  recog- 
nize you  and  call  you  by  your  name  ? — may  I  venture  to 
confess  that  I  recognized  you  from  the  beginning  ?  "  he 
pleaded,  still  holding  and  caressing  her  hand. 

11  Justin  !  Justin,  my  beloved  !  my  beloved  ! "  exclaimed 
Britomarte,  whom  we  shall  no  longer  call  by  her  assumed 
name  of  Wing.  And  she  dropped  her  head  upon  his  bosom 
and  sobbed  aloud.  He  folded  his  arms  around  her,  and  she 
sobbed  until  her  passion  of  grief  had  exhausted  itself. 
Then  she  raised  her  head  and  wiped  her  eyes. 

"I  am  dying,  Britomarte!  that  is  nothing;  a  soldier's 
fate — no  more.  But  stoop,  my  darling,  and  put  your  lips 
to  mine,  and  give  me  the  kiss — the  kiss  that  my  heart  has 
hungered  for  through  all  these  weary  years !  "  he  pleaded. 

She  stooped  and  pressed  her  lips  to  his  in  long,  clinging, 
passionate  kisses,  murmuring  between  them : 

"  If  you  die,  I  die  with  you,  Justin  !  I  can  not  survive 
you,  my  beloved  !  I  feel  my  heart  sinking  with  your  ebbing 
life !  But  oh  !  that  we  had  our  days  to  live  over  again  !  oh, 
that  we  had !  I  would  not  then  repulse  your  dear  love, 
Justin ;  I  would  not !  I  would  not !  Ah  !  how  could  I 
have  been  so  unwomanly,  so  inhuman,  as  to  repel  such  a 
heart  as  yours.  Oh,  live,  Justin  !  live,  that  I  may  undo 
the  work  of  years,  and  make  you  happy  if  I  can ! " 

"  My  dearest !  if  anything  could  make  me  live  in  this 
world,  it  would  be  your  love,  that  makes  me  so  happy.  But 
if  I  die  here,  Britomarte,  we  shall  live  in  another  and  a 
better  world,  where  all  mists  shall  be  cleared  from  our 
vision— where  we  shall  know  each  other  as  we  are,  and  love 
each  other  eternally,"  he  said,  gently  caressing  her. 

"  Oh,  try  to  live  ! — to  live  in  this  world  yet  a  little  while, 
dear  Justin.  There  is  a  great  deal  in  trying,  you  know. 
Pray  to  the  Lord  to  help  you  !  Ah,  do  not  cheat  yourself 


ON     THE     BATTLE     FIELD.  439 

out  of  your  beautiful  youth-time  on  this  dear  earth  !  The 
other  world  may  be  bright  enough,  but  it  is  not  this  sweet, 
familiar  earth !  Ah,  try  to  live,  dear  Justin  !  let  me  look 
at  your  wound.  It  has  ceased  to  ooze  !  it  has  indeed,  dear. 
The  blood  is  coagulated  all  around  the  binding.  You 
"WILL  live  if  you  only  make  a  strong  effort,"  urged  Brito- 
marte. 

Her  words  were  like  the  elixir  of  life.  They  put  new 
strength  into  the  sinking  man. 

"  If  it  depends  upon  me,  my  dearest  one,  I  shall  not  die  ! 
I  will  try  to  live,  Britomarte,  since  life  holds  out  the 
promise  of  so  much  happiness  in  your  love  ! " 

"That  is  right!  You  WILL  live!  I  know  it— I  feel 
it!" 

"  But,  my  darling,  you  must  go  now.  Every  minute  you 
remain  here  is  fraught  with  danger  to  your  honor  and  your 
liberty.  Go,  dear  Britomarte,  go  !  " 

"  No,  I  will  not  leave  you  !  I  will  stay  here  and  watch 
you.  And  now  I  think  of  it,  you  must  keep  your  limb  per- 
fectly still.  The  least  motion  may  set  k  to  bleeding 
again." 

"  I  will,  my  dearest,  I  will.     But  go  now — do  go  !  " 

"  I  said  that  I  would  not  leave  you,  and  I  meant  it  ! " 

"  But  every  moment  of  your  stay  is  replete  with  peril  to 
you !  Squads  of  rebel  soldiers  pass  every  now  and  then  to 
plunder  the  dying  and  the  dead.  And  the  fog  is  blowing 
away,  and  it  is  getting  clearer  and  lighter  every  minute, 
and  if  they  come  this  way  and  discover  you,  they  will  cap- 
ture you  immediately." 

"  So  they  will  you,  Justin,  if  they  discover  your  rank. 
And  I  am  resolved  to  stay  and  share  your  fate,"  she  firmly 
replied. 

"  Oh,  Britomarte !  Britomarte  !  think  of  the  horrors  of 
the  Libby  Prison !  How  could  you — a  woman — bear  them  I 
Reflect  and  fly,  Britomarte !  Fly,  and  save  yourself  in 
time  ! "  he  urged. 


440  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

"  If  I  were  able  to  take  you  up  on  my  shoulders  and 
bear  you  off  from  the  battle  field,  as  ^Eneas  bore  bis  father 
from  burning  Troy,  I  would  do  so_  But  as  I  am  not  able 
so  to  save  you,  I  will  stay  and  share  your  fate.  '  Horrors 
of  the  Libby  Prison  ? ' — Oh,  Justin  !  there  is  nothing  in 
this  world  so  hard  to  bear  as  separation  from  those  we  love. 
Nothing,  Justin,  nothing  !  I  know  it,  I  feel  it.  I  said  so, 
Justin,  when  you  left  me  to  go  into  the  army ;  and  so  I 
disguised  myself  and  followed  you  to  the  field.  And  I  say 
so  now,  kneeling  by  your  side  in  this  vale  of  blood.  I  am 
now  your  promised  wife,  and  nothing  on  earth  shall  ever 
part  me  from  your  side  unless  I  should  be  torn  by  violence 
away.  If  you  go  to  Libby,  I  go  to  Libby ;  happier  if  I 
share  your  fate  in  that  foul  prison  and  pest-house  than  I 
could  be  anywhere  else  on  earth." 

"  But,  Britomarte,  for  your  own  sake — for  my  sake  !  " 

"  Justin,  my  beloved,  I  abjured  my  womanhood,  disguised 
myself  and  followed  you  to  battle ;  I  have  been  by  your 
side  on  twenty  well  fought  fields ;  I  have  dared  what 
woman  never  dared  before,  that  I  might  be  ever  with  you  ! 
Justin,  Justin,  my  true  love  !  my  husband  for  time  and 
eternity  !  never  again  ask  me  to  leave  you  I "  she  exclaimed, 
her  voice  and  all  her  frame  trembling  with  emotion. 

"  I  will  not !  Before  heaven,  I  promise  it !  I  will  never 
ask  you,  I  will  never  consent  to  your  leaving  me  ! "  fer- 
vently, earnestly,  solemnly  replied  Justin,  closing  his  hand 
upon  her. 

"  That  is  well !  Now  let  us  talk  calmly  together,  while 
we  wait  for  what  may  happen.  And  now  tell  me,  Justin, 
how  it  was  that  you  recognized  me,  as  you  did,  from  the 
beginning  ?  I  thought  I  was  well  disguised,  and  I  am  a 
good  actress;  with  almost  a  Protean  power  of  changing  my 
face,  and  with  a  ventriloquist's  gift  of  changing  my  voice  ! " 
she  said. 

"  Yes,  you  were  well  disguised  !  wonderfully  well !     You 


ON     THE     BATTLE     FIELD.  441 

had  sacrificed  your  luxuriant  and  beautiful,  dark  brown 
tresses,  and  had  put  on  a  skull-cap  wig  of  short,  stiff, 
bristling  flaxen  hair,  and  drawn  it  tight  and  low  over  your 
forehead,  making  the  latter  much  narrower  than  nature  had 
formed  it.  You  had  shaved  off  your  arched  black  eyebrows, 
giving  your  face  the  bald  look  corresponding  to  the  short, 
stiff  hair,  and  quite  altering  the  expression  of  your  eyes. 
You  had  widened  your  mouth  by  two  deep  hidden  lines  in 
the  corner.  Altogether  you  had  made,  as  you  women  say, 
'  a  figure  of  yourself,'  which  was  not  Britomarte.  You  had 
put  yourself  in  the  uniform  of  a  United  States  soldier. 
And  you  always  carried  four  or  five  pebbles  in  your  mouth, 
to  make  you  speak  thickly  like  a  German,"  said  Justin. 

"  And  yet  you  recognized  me  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  when  I  saw  you  in  the  ranks — flaxen  hair,  bald 
face,  wide  mouth,  soldier's  clothes  and  Dutchman's  voice  to 
the  contrary  notwithstanding — in  the  ugly,  awkward  little 
raw  recruit,  to  my  unbounded  amazement  I  recognized  my 
beautiful  Britomarte  Conyers,"  he  answered,  smiling. 

Many  times  in  her  military  career  had  Britomarte's 
cheeks  crimsoned  for  her  own  wounded  womanhood ;  but 
never  so  deeply  as  now. 

"  Oh,  Justin,  Justin  !  "  she  said,  covering  her  face  with 
her  hands,  and  forgetting  that  he  could  not  plainly  see  it 
in  that  obscure  light — "  Oh,  Justin,  it  was  for  your  sake, 
my  dearest,  that  I  transformed  and  disfigured  myself  so." 

"  I  know  it,  dear  Britomarte,  I  know  it." 

"  Division  from  your  side  was  worse  than  death  to  me — 
worse  than  division  of  soul  from  body.  I  felt  that  I  must 
be  with  you,  at  all  costs,  but  I  thought  that  you  would 
never  find  me  out.  I  wished  to  serve  you  as  a  faithful 
little  brother,  with  my  identity  unsuspected.  Oh,  Justin, 
Justin  !  you  never  misunderstood  or  wronged  me  in  your 
thoughts  after  you  recognized  me,  I  know !  "  she  passionate- 
ly exclaimed. 


442  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

« I  never  did." 

"  Had  I  known  that  you  had  discovered  me,  I  would  have 
vrnished  from  your  sight !  " 

"  I  know  it,  dear  Britomarte,  I  know  it !  for  I  know  you. 
There  is  not,  Britomarte,  in  the  universe  a  creature  who 
understands  and  appreciates  you  and  your  motives  so  truly 
and  justly  as  I  can  and  as  I  do." 

"  I  feel  sure  of  that,"  murmured  Britomarte. 

Justin  pressed  her  hand  and  relapsed  into  silence.  He 
was  really  very  faint  and  weak  from  excessive  loss  of  blood  ; 
and  the  transient  strength  lent  him  by  excitement  was  be- 
ginning to  fail. 

Britomarte  took  from  her  pocket  some  pieces  of  hard 
biscuit,  soaked  them  in  the  brandy  from  her  flask  and  put 
them  bit  by  bit  into  his  mouth. 

When  he  was  sufficiently  revived  by  these  refreshments, 
she  inquired: 

"  Dear  Justin,  when  you  recognized  me  in  the  ranks,  how 
was  it  that  you  did  not  whisper  private  information  of  the 
fact  and  get  me  quietly  mustered  out  ?  " 

"  My  first  impulse  was  to  do  just  that  very  thing.  But 
I  seldom  permit  myself  to  act  upon  impulse ;  and  so  I  re- 
flected that  I  had  no  right  to  betray  your  secret,  or  to  inter- 
fere with  your  plans,  or  in  any  way  invade  your  free  agency  ; 
and  I  resolved  to  let  you  take  your  own  course  and  to  pro- 
tect you  in  it  as  far  as  in  me  lay." 

"  Oh,  Justin,  dear  Justin !  good  and  true  in  all  things, 
how  much  I- "  her  voice  broke  down  and  she  wept. 

"  And  now,  love,  forgive  me  in  what  I  am  about  to  ex- 
plain to  you — because,  if  I  live,  I  am  to  be  your  husband, 
am  I  not  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  yes,"  she  answered,  earnestly. 

"  And  if  I  die,  still  we  are  to  be  one  forever  ?  " 

"  Forever  and  ever !  " 

u  Why,  then,  we  are  bound  together  as  fast  as  though  all 


ON     THE     BATTLE     FIELD.  443 

the  courts  in  the  country  had  issued  our  marriage  license, 
and  all  the  churches  in  Christendom  had  consecrated  our 
union." 

"  We  are,  my  own  dear  love." 

"  Then  you  will  let  me  speak  as  plainly  to  you  as  to  my 
wife." 

"  Just  as  plainly.    .Yes." 

"  Well,  theji,  the  very  day  on  which  you  were  mustered 
in,  when  I  recognized  you,  I  asked  myself  with  a  shudder, 
Where  will  she  eat  ?  Where  will  she  sleep  ?  With  whom 
will  she  associate  ?  How  will  she  maintain  her  sacred 
womanly  reserve  in  this  crowded  camp,  where  four  or  five 
soldiers  occupy  a  tent  together  ?  And  then  it  was  that  I 
felt  the  strong  impulse  to  give  private  information  of  your 
sex,  and  have  you  quietly  mustered  out ;  hut  as  I  said  be- 
fore, I  reflected  that  I  had  no  right  to  betray  your  secret,  or 
restrain  your  free  agency,  and  I  resolved  to  let  you  go  on 
your  own  way,  but  to  protect  you  in  it,  and  so  I  immediate- 
ly selected  you  as  my  orderly,  and  assigned  you  a  nook  in 
my  own  quarters,  where  your  woman's  holy  privacy  would 
be,  and  ever  has  been,  inviolate." 

"  Oh,  Justin,  dear  love,  honored  husband,  a  thousand 
blessings  on  you  for  all  your  tender  care,"  she  said,  stoop- 
ing and  pressing  her  lips  to  his. 

He  put  his  arms  around  her,  and  she  wept  to  feel  how 
feeble  those  strong  arms  had  become,  and  he  fondly  returned 
her  caresses. 

"  Tell  me,  now,  Justin,"  she  said,  "  how  it  happened  that 
you  never  once  betrayed  to  me  your  recognition  of  me  ?  " 

"  I  have  great  powers  of  reticence  and  self  control.  I 
knew  that  to  betray  my  knowledge  of  you  would  be  to 
wound  your  delicacy  and  control  your  actions,  and  so  I  con- 
stantly guarded — " 

"  Hark  ! "  exclaimed  Britomarte,  springing  to  her  feet. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  cried  Justin. 


444  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

"  The  Kebels  are  upon  us. — Justin  ! " 

"  Well,  dear  ?  " 

"  If  they  capture  us,  do  not  betray  my  sex  to  them,  in 
any  hope  that  they  will  respect  it.  Do  not,  Justin.  Do 
not ! " 

"  Not  for  a  thousand  worlds.  Your  uniform  is  the  best 
protection  your  womanhood  could  have  now,"  said  the 
wounded  man. 


CHAPTER   XLL 

THE    SUEPRTSE. 

The  tramp  of  hoof,  the  flash  of  steel, 

The  Eebels  round  her  coming  I 
The  sound  and  sight  hath  made  her  calm, 

Sham  soldier,  genuine  woman  1 
She  stands  amid  them  all  unmoved! 
The  heart  supported  by  the  loved 

IB  strong  to  meet  the  foeman. — E.  B.  BBOWHUTO. 

"THESE,  at  least,  shall  not  be  dishonored  by  anything 
done  to  me,"  said  Britomarte,  as  with  her  dagger  she  hastily 
cut  and  tore  the  captain's  straps  from  her  shoulders,  and 
threw  them  as  far  as  she  could  send  them. 

The  sky  was  clearing,  and  it  was  much  lighter  than  it  had 
been  as  the  marauding  party  rode  up.  They  dismounted  at 
a  short  distance,  and  came  prowling  about  on  foot  among  the 
fallen,  to  slay  the  dying,  rob  the  dead. 

Britomarte  knelt  by  Justin  and  held  his  hand  as  they 
came  up,  and  bent  over  the  group. 

"  Hullo !  who  have  we  here  ?  A  Yankee  colonel,  by  all 
that's  lucky.  And  a  Yankee  spy  to  boot.  Stoop  down  and 
examine  him,  Canstop.  If  he  is  badly  hurt,  we'll  put 
him  out  of  his  misery,  and  appropriate  that  fine  suit  of 
broadcloth  that  can  be  no  farther  use  to  him.  If  he  is  not 


THE     SURPRISE.  445 

we'll  take  him  prisoner  and  give  him  a  taste  of  Libby,"  said 
one  who  seemed  to  be  the  leader  of  the  squad. 

"  Where  are  you  hurt  ?  "  said  the  man  called  Canstop, 
who  seemed,  from  his  manner,  to  be  some  lower  grade  of 
hospital  nurse. 

"  In  my  leg,  only,  I  think.  I  am  weak  from  loss  of  blood, 
and  stiff  from  certain  bruises  received,  by  my  horse  falling 
on  me,"  answered  Justin,  calmly. 

"  All  right ;  hand  over  your  arms,"  said  the  leader. 

"  You  will  find  my  sword  somewhere  on  the  field,  where  I 
dropped  it  from  my  hand  as  I  fell." 

"  Your  revolver  ?  " 

"Here  it  is,"  said  Justin,  drawing  it  forth  and  delivering 
it  up. 

"Your  watch?" 

"I  never  before  heard  that  watches  were  arms,"  said 
Justin,  as  he  passed  over  his  costly  chronometer. 

"  Now  your  pocket  book." 

Justin  smiled  as  he  answered : 

"  If  it  were  not  that  I  know  you  are  backed  up  by  a 
thousand  precedents  of  your  comrades,  I  should  wonder  that 
you,  calling  yourselves  soldiers,  should  stoop  to  rob  a 
wounded  prisoner." 

"  Hold  your  noise,  you  blamed  Yankee,  and  do  as  you're 
bid,  or  it  will  be  the  worse  for  you." 

"  I  have  no  pocket  book  with  me,"  answered  Justin, 
calmly ;  "  I  left  it  at  head  quarters." 

"  Oh  !  expected  to  be  whipped,  did  you,  and  so  made  sure 
of  the  money  by  leaving  it  behind.  Just  like  your  Yankee 
cunning. — Come,  raise  him  up,  some  of  you  boys,  and  see  if 
he  can  stand  upon  his  legs,"  said  the  leader,  speaking  to  his 
men. 

Two  of  them  lifted  Justin  up,  but  it  was  evident  that  he 
could  not  stand. 

"  I  see,"  said  the  leader.  "  Lay  him  down  again.  Can- 
atop,  haven't  you  got  a  stretcher  somewhere  handy  ?  " 


4  46  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

"Yes,  under  the  ash  tree  about  a  hundred  yards  from 
this." 

"  Go,  some  of  you,  and  fetch  it." 

Two  men  started  at  a  run,  and  quickly  returned  with 
the  stretcher. 

And  the  wounded  prisoner  was  lifted  and  laid  upon  it. 

They  had  now  time  to  attend  to  the  less  important  cap- 
tive. 

"  Ton  are  not  wounded,  at  least.  What  the  devil  do  you 
mean  by  coming  within  our  lines  ?  "  fiercely  demanded  the 
leader. 

"  I  came  to  succor  my  colonel,  and  to  share  his  fate," 
answered  Britomarte,  firmly. 

"  Brave  boy  !  what  is  your  rank  among  the  clock  ped- 
dlers ?  "  laughed  the  leader. 

"I  am  a  soldier  in  the  United  States  army,"  proudly 
replied  Britomarte. 

«  Of  what  grade  ?  " 

"  I  decline  to  answer." 

"You  see  'soldier'  is  rather  a  comprehensive  term. 
General  Grant  is  a  soldier — " 

"  Oh,  you've  found  that  out,  have  you  ?  "  said  Britomarte, 
derisively. 

— "  And  every  private  in  his  army  is  a  soldier — " 

— "  Thanks.  You  are  giving  us  great  praise,"  laughed 
Britomarte. 

— "  I  mean,  of  course,  as  to  name.  You  are  a  soldier,  and 
I  ask  you  of  what  grade  ?  " 

"  And  I  decline  to  answer  your  question." 

"  All  right ;  it  is  your  own  affair.  Only  if  you  call  your- 
self simply  a  soldier,  you  will  be  treated  as  a  soldier ;  that 
is  to  say,  you  will  be  put  in  the  lowest  part  of  the  prison, 
and  fed  upon  the  poorest  rations.  The  officers  have  better 
accommodations." 

Britomarte  trembled,  not  at  the  certainty  of  foul  food  and 


THE     SURPRISE.  447 

fouler  lodging,  but  at  the  prospect  of  being  separated  from 
Justin.  So  she  answered — 

"  As  I  do  not  wish  to  be  divided  from  my  colonel,  I  will 
acknowledge  that  I  am  a  commissioned  officer  of  the  line, 
as  you  may  see  for  yourself  in  my  dark  blue  uniform." 

"  What  is  your  name,  and  precise  rank  ?  " 

"  I  decline  to  answer." 

"The  fact  is,  you  are  a  spy,  but  your  reserve  will  not  save 
you !  Here.  Pettigru !  take  his  arms,  guard  him,  and 
march  him  after  the  other  prisoner ! "  said  the  leader. 

Britomarte  gave  up  her  sword,  dagger  and  revolver,  and 
marched  between  two  rebel  soldiers,  after  the  stretcher  upon 
which  four  other  soldiers  were  bearing  Justin  off  from  the 
field. 

The  leader  was  about  to  leave  the  spot  with  the  re- 
mainder of  the  party,  when  he  heard  a  weak  voice  calling — 

"  Sergeant !  " 

"  Well,  who  are  you  ?  what's  the  matter  ?  " 

"  One  of  your  company — wounded  in  the  hip.  Don't 
you  think  you  could  send  a  stretcher  and  have  me  taken  off 
the  field?" 

"  I'll  see.  We  are  picking  up  all  we  can  without  getting 
too  near  the  Yankee  lines.  Those  devils  never  sleep  !  and 
we  are  expecting  the  battle  to  be  renewed  in  the  morning. 
However,  I'll  attend  to  your  case." 

"  Sergeant ! " 

"Well,  what  now." 

"  You  have  taken  two  prisoners  ?  " 

"Yes;  what  then?" 

"  One  was  a  Yankee  Colonel  ?  " 

"  Colonel  Eosenthal — yes,  what  of  it  ?  " 

"Why  the  other  one,  Sergeant,  was — was  his  sweet- 
heart." 

"Eh?" 

"  His  sweetheart,  Sergeant." 


44S  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

"  How  do  you  know  that  ?  " 

"  Laying  here  in  the  bushes  quite  near  them,  but  out  of 
their  sight,  I  overheard  their  talk — not  all  of  it,  nor  half  of 
it,  for  they  spoke  in  a  low  tone — but  I  overheard  enough  to 
know  that  she  is  his  sweetheart,  and  has  served  with  him, 
disguised  as  a  soldier,  for  the  last  year  or  so,  and  that  she 
is  a  commissioned  officer." 

"  Ah-h-h,  ha-a-a  !  "  chuckled  the  Sergeant ;  "  that's  the 
reason  why  she  was  so  close  !  but  her  closeness  shall  not 
save  her  any  more  than  her  sex  shall !  We'll  treat  her  as 
a  spy  !  her  name,  my  man  !  did  you  hear  her  name  ?  " 

"  Not  the  one  she  went  by  in  the  army  ;  but  I  think  he 
called  her  Bridget  Martin,  or  some  such  name. 

"  Ah-h-h,  ha-a-a !  Miss  Bridget  Martin  !  I  think  we  shall 
let  in  a  little  light  upon  you  before  long  !  I  shouldn't 
wonder  if  you  were  the  very '  orderly '  of  Colonel  Rosenthal 
who  penetrated  the  camp  of  the  Free  Sword  and  betrayed 
him.  We  shall  see  !  Keep  up  your  courage,  my  man  ;  I 
will  send  the  stretcher  back  for  you  as  soon  as  it  has  depos- 
ited the  colonel. 

And  so  saying,  the  sergeant,  instead  of  going  to  other 
parts  of  the  field,  as  he  had  intended,  turned  and  followed 
the  prisoners. 

The  bearers  supporting  the  stretcher  upon  which  Colonel 
Kosenthal  la}',  moved  rapidly  onward  over  the  rough  ground 
to  the  great  distress  of  the  wounded  man. 

Britomarte  was  driven  closely  behind  him — literally 
driven  ;  for  if,  after  her  day  and  night  of  severe  and  ex- 
hausting battle  and  toil,  her  woman's  fragile  limbs  gave  way 
for  a  moment,  her  steps  were  promptly  quickened  by  the 
point  of  the  bayonet  thrust  against  her  shoulders. 

So  over  miles  and  miles  of  broken  and  rocky  roads  they 
were  painfully  marched  to  the  rear  of  Lee's  army,  and  to  an 
old  barn  that  was  used  as  a  temporary  depot  for  prison" 


THE      SURPRISE.  449 

Here,  to  her  consternation,  Britomarte  was  thrust  in  with 
a  number  of  fellow  captives,  who  were  waiting  to  be  trans- 
ported to  Richmond,  while  Colonel  Eosenthal  was  borne  off 
to  the  field  hospital  to  have  his  wound  looked  to. 

There  must  have  been  more  than  a  thousand  prisoners 
crowded  into  that  old  barn. 

•  Britomarte,  being  one  of  the  last  taken,  found  herself 
near  the  door.  And  when  it  was  closed  and  barred  upon 
her,  she  could  get  no  farther.  She  was  like  a  late  arrival  at 
an  overcrowded  lecture-room — only  this  crowd  was  all  stand- 
ing, because  there  was  no  room  to  sit  or  lie  down.  The 
building  was  broken  here  and  there,  and  through  crevices  a 
little  air  got  in  ;  this  only  prevented  the  prisoners  from  be- 
ing suffocated.  They  were  a  patient  and  silent  band  of 
victims — only  here  and  there  was  heard  a  groan  wrung  from 
some  sufferer  from  disease  or  wounds  ;  and  now  and  then  a 
curse  struck  out  from  some  exasperated  soldier  who  found 
himself  squeezed  nearly  to  death  by  the  crowd. 

Britomarte,  being  small  and  slight,  sank  down,  upon  the 
floor,  with  her  back  resting  against  the  closed  door.  And 
notwithstanding  her  great  mental  anxietj7 — worn  out  in 
body  and  mind,  and  overcome  with  heat  and  fatigue — she 
fell  into  a  deep  and  dreamless  sleep,  that  lasted  perhaps  two 
hours. 

She  was  rudely  awakened  by  falling  backwards.  The 
door  against  which  she  had  leaned  had  been  suddenly  opened, 
and  she  had  gone  over. 

Half  bewildered  by  the  deep  sleep  and  the  rude  shock 
that  had  ended  it,  she  picked  herself  up  in  time  to  hear  the 
prison  guard  shout : 

"  Come,  get  out  of  this,  you  lazy  Yankees !  You've  got. 
to  go  to  Richmond — where  you've  been  trying  to  get  for  the. 
last  three  or  four  years,  you  know." 

The  half  suffocated  prisoners  were  only  glad  to  get  out 
28 


450  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

into  the  open  air.     And  though  ready  to  sink  with 
fasting  and  weariness,  they  issued  forth. 

Many  of  them  dropped  down  upon  the  ground  to  rest 
and  stretch  their  stiff  and  wearied  limbs,  and  wait  for  the 
breakfast  which  they  hoped  was  coming. 

But  there  was  no  such  good  luck  in  store  for  them.  They 
wore  ordered  to  rise  and  fall  in  line ;  and  when,  hy  reason 
of  their  stiffness  and  soreness,  they  were  slow  to  move,  they 
wore  poked  and  goaded  up  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet. 

Some  of  the  younger  men — mere  boys,  who  in  their  com- 
fortable Northern  or  Western  homes,  had  been  used  to 
warm  and  plentiful  meals,  and  even  during  their  campaigns 
with  the  army  had  been  provided  with  regular  and  excel- 
lent rations — could  not  get  used  to  living  without -food  and 
drink.  So  they  complained  of  hunger  and  asked  for  break- 
fast. 

"  '  Breakfast ! '  "  was  the  laughing  and  probably  the 
truthful  rejoinder—" '  breakfast,'  is  it  ?  Why  we  haven't 
any  for  ourselves,  how  can  we  give  it  to  you  ?  But  cheer 
up,  Yanks !  we  shall  get  something  to  eat  on  the  road,  I 
dare  say,  if  it's  nothing  better  than  raw  potatoes  or  unripe 
corn." 

The  prisoners  were  immediately  formed  in  line,  guarded 
on  either  side  by  a  strong  detachment  of  rebel  infantry, 
and  put  en  route  for  Kichmond  by  one  of  the  plank  roads 
still  covered  by  Lee's  army. 

Britomarte,  consumed  by  anxiety  for  the  fate  of  Justin, 
ventured  to  ask  an  officer  of  the  guard  who  was  marching 
near  her,  whether  he  was  still  in  the  field  hospital,  and 
what  was  his  state.  She  spoke  in  a  gentle  and  winning 
tone  of  voice,  and  the  officer  addressed  happened  to  be  a 
gentleman. 

"  ' Colonel  Rosenthal ?  '"  he  replied.  " He  is  in  the  am- 
bulance ahead  of  us,  with  several  other  Yankee  officers  who 
are  slightly  wounded,  but  unable  to  walk." 


THE      SURPRISE.  451 

**  Is  his  wound  a  slight  one  ?  " 

"  I  presume  it  is  not  a  dangerous  one,  or  he  would  have 
been  left  upon  the  field.  We  can  have  no  object  in  captur- 
ing an  officer  who  is  likely  to  die  before  he  can  be  ex- 
changed." 

And  here  the  officer,  feeling  perhaps  that  his  courtesy 
had  gone  far  enough  in  talking  to  a  prisoner,  fell  back  a 
little  out  of  ear-shot. 

Br:t:marte  felt  comforted  in  the  knowledge  that  Justin's 
wound  was  not  dangerous,  and  that  he  was  on  the  same 
road  with  herself,  and  would  probably  be  assigned  to  the 
same  ward  of  the  same  prison  with  herself. 

When  they  had  marched  about  three  miles  through  a 
wasted  and  desolated  country,  they  came  to  a  cornfield, 
where  a  halt  was  ordered,  and  the  prisoners  were  directed 
to  help  themselves,  and  permitted  to  rest.  The  corn  was 
not  near  ripe,  the  ears  when  the  husks  were  removed  being 
little  bigger  than  a  man's  fore-finger,  an<f  the  husks  still 
soft ;  and  the  ground  was  wet  with  the  recent  heavy  rains. 
Notwithstanding  these  drawbacks,  the  famished  and  fa- 
tigued prisoners  gladly  filled  their  stomachs  with  this  very 
green  corn,  devouring  both  grain  and  husks ;  and  after- 
wards threw  their  wearied  limbs  down  upon  the  damp 
ground — imprudences  to  be  fearfully  paid  for  in  the  disease 
and  death  that  afterwards  decimated  the  crowded  popula- 
tion of  Libby  and  Belle  Isle. 

Having  eaten  and  rested  in  this  fatal  manner,  the  order 
was  given  to  rise  and  fall  in  line,  and  the  inarch  was  re- 
sumed. 

All  that  burning  day,  when  "  the  sky  was  brass,"  they 
inarched.  Late  in  the  afternoon  they  halted  again  in  an 
orchard,  and  supped  off  green  apples,  and  immediately  re- 
sumed the  march. 

It  was  near  nightfall  when  they  reached  Richmond. 

There  was  a  short  halt,  during  which  their  arrival  was 


452  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

formally  reported  to  the  proper  authorities,  and  orders  fot 
their  disposition  taken. 

And  then  they  were  marched  directly  to  the  Libhy  and 
packed  into  a  prison  that  was  already  crowded. 

For  what  follows  I  am  indebted  partly  to  personal  obser- 
vation, and  partly  to  the  report  of  an  officer  who  was  an 
inmate  of  that  pest-house  for  several  months. 

The  Libby,  as  I  saw  it  in  May,  1865,  is  a  great,  strong, 
oblong  building  of  the  simplest  structure.  It  stands  quite 
alone,  a  whole  block  in  itself,  reaching  each  way  from  street 
to  street.  It  fronts  the  water  and  the  wharfs,  and  backs 
upon  a  city  street — though  front  and  back  are  so  exactly 
alike  that  it  is  difficult  to  say  which  is  which.  It  has  no 
wall  or  yard  around  it.  It  stands  barely  and  grimly  out  be- 
tween the  streets.  It  is  of  two  stories,  or,  counting  the 
ground  floor,  of  three.  Each  story  is  divided,  simply  and 
equally,  into  three  great  halls,  each  big  enough  for  an  ordin- 
ary church,  and  running  from  front  to  back  through  the 
whole  building.  Each  hall  has  its  sides  formed  of  solid 
masonry,  and  its  ends  of  three  immense  doors,  formed  only 
of  perpendicular  iron  bars,  and  reaching  from  the  ceiling  to 
the  floor.  Through  these  bars  at  the  front  may  be  seen  the 
sidewalk,  the  river,  the  wharves,  and  the  busy  scenes  of 
traffic  ;  through  the  bars  of  the  back  a  crowded  city  street. 
Through  these  opposite,  open  bars  the  ventilation  is  very 
good.  There  is  neither  bed,  bench,  water-jug  or  furniture 
of  any  sort  in  either  hall.  But  in  the  right  hand  corner  of 
the  front  there  is,  in  each,  a  water-spout  and  sink. 

So,  amid  all  the  miserable  squalor  and  destitution  of  the 
Libby,  there  seemed  to  be  three  or  four  necessaries  of  life  in 
plenty — light,  air,  water  and  an  open  view  of  earth  and 
sky. 

At  least  these  were  my  impressions  in  inspecting  it  in  May, 
1865,  nearly  a  year  after  the  events  I  am  now  relating. 

It  was  quite  dark  when  our  prisoners  were  halted  before 


THE     SURPRISE..  453 

the  Lobby ;  but  the  gas  lamps  of  the  street  showed  the  iron 
barred  front  of  the  building,  lined  with  ghastly  faces  look- 
ing out  upon  the  night.  Our  men  were  suffering  extremely, 
all  from  fatigue,  and  many  from  acute  illness  brought  on  by 
eating  green  corn  and  green  apples,  and  marching  under  the 
burning  sun.  And  many  sat  down  and  many  dropped  upon 
the  sidewalk  before  the  prison,  while  waiting  for  the  doors 
to  be  thrown  open.  A  report  went  round  among  them  that 
they  were  only  to  be  packed  up  in  the  Libby  for  that  night ; 
and  that  next  morning  they  were  to  be  divided  between  Belle 
Isle  and  Castle  Thunder. 

At  last  the  massive  doors  were  thrown  open  and  the  pris- 
oners were  forced  in — really  forced,  for  though  they  made  no 
sort  of  resistance,  the  crowd  already  there  was  so  great  that 
it  formed  an  almost  impassable  obstacle  to  the  entrance  of 
any  more.  But  our  boys  were  pushed  in  and  pressed  upon 
this  crowd,  until  it  fell  heavily  back  upon  itself,  to  the  risk 
of  great  injury  and  even  death  to  individual  prisoners.  And 
when  nearly  all  were  in,  and  the  crowd  still  bulged  through 
the  open  doors,  as  the  contents  of  an  over-full  trunk  bulges 
through  its  open  top,  these  doors  were  closed  by  main  force 
upon  it,  just  as  you  would  close  down  the  lid  of  the  trunk. 

This  was  not  a  silent  and  a  patient  crowd  like  that  in  the 
barn  had  been.  The  greater  number  of  these  men  had  suf- 
fered too  long  and  too  terribly.  Their  state  had  been  bad 
enough  before  this  new  instalment  of  prisoners  was  thrust  in 
upon  them  ;  now  it  was  immeasurably  worse.  Here  were 
men  pressed  together  by  thousands  in  a  stone  hall  that  could 
not  have  accommodated  a  hundred  in  comfort — pressed 
together  so  closely  that  there  was  no  room  to  sit  or  lie  down. 

To  be  sure  they  had  air  from  the  open  gratings  at  each 
end  of  the  hall ;  but  the  walls  on  each  side  were  reeking 
with  moisture  and  sickening  with  mould,  and  the  ground 
floor  under  their  feet  was  paved  only  with  round  stones  like 
those  in  the  middle  of  the  streets,  and  was  in  many  places 


454  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

worn  with  deep  holes,  where  water  had  gathered,  in  which 
the  men  stood  ankle  deep. 

Many  of  these  men  were  suffering  from  wounds,  not 
serious  in  the  beginning,  else  they  had  not  been  brought 
here,  but  inflamed  and  fevered  by  neglect  and  ill  treatment ; 
many  were  racked  with  neuralgia  and  rheumatism  from  con- 
stant exposure  to  damp  and  cold ;  many  were  ill  from  re- 
volting forms  of  disease  brought  on  by  foul  food.  And 
added  to  all  this,  all  were  suffering  from  hunger,  thirst  and 
weariness.  And  there  was  no  relief  and  no  prospect  of 
relief. 

Here,  over  these  prison  doors,  might  have  been  inscribed 
the  awful  motto  over  the  gates  of  Hell : 

WHO  ENTERS  HEKE  LEAVES  HOPE  BEHIND. 

Here  were  agonizing  groans  and  heart-rending  prayers  ; 
heavy  complainings  and  bitter  upbraidings ;  deeply  breath- 
ed maledictions  and  fiercely  muttered  vows  of  vengeuce. 

The  rays  of  a  gas  lamp  at  the  corner  of  the  street, 
streaming  through  the  grating,  lighted  up  the  ghastly  faces 
of  these  prisoners  with  a  wild  and  lurid  glare.  They  look- 
ed like  the  inhabitants  of  Tartarus.  The  place  seemed  at 
once  a  purgatory  and  a  pandemonium. 

Britomarte — for  the  first  time  in  all  her  military  career — 
shuddered  with  horror. 

"  Keep  near  the  grating,  my  dearest,  with  your  face  to 
the  bars,  so  that  you  may  get  as  much  fresh  air  as  possi- 
ble," whispered  a  faint  voice  close  to  her  ear. 

She  turned  quickly  and  saw  the  face  of  her  lover,  pallid 
in  the  lamp-light. 

"  Justin  !  You  here  !  You  in  this  hall  of  horrors  !  Oh, 
I  am  so  sorry  !  "  she  exclaimed,  in  a  low  and  anxious  tone. 

"  And  I  am  so  glad !  And  I  thought  you  would  be  glad 
to  have  me  near  you,"  he  cheerfully  replied. 

"  Not  here — not  in  this  torture  chamber.  Oh,  Justin  ! 
weak  and  wounded,  how  will  you  bear  it  ?  " 


THE     SURPRISE.  456 

Much  better  than  I  could  bear  separation  from  you, 
Britomarte,"  he  earnestly  answered. 

"  Your  wound,  Justin,  how  is  it  ?  painful  ?  " 

"Not  more  so  than  I  can  well  endure,"  he  answered, 
smiling. 

But  to  her  wistful  gaze,  his  white  lips  and  wrung  brow 
almost  belied  his  words. 

"  They  might  have  sent  you  to  a  hospital,  at  least.  It 
was  inhuman  to  place  you  here,"  she  said. 

"  But,  my  clearest,  they  placed  me  just  where  I  wished  to 
be,"  he  cheerfully  said. 

And  this  was  true,  so  true,  that  he  had  feigned  a  greater 
strength  and  a  quicker  convalescence  than  he  really  enjoyed, 
in  order  to  be  sent  to  the  Libby. 

"  But  how  was  it  that  I  didn't  see  you  outside  ?  "  she  in- 
quired. 

"  Because  it  was  late  when  I  was  brought  up.  I  was  one 
of  the  last  to  be  packed  in,"  he  laughed. 

"  '  Packed  in.'  Yes,  that  is  what  it  is.  We  are  lucky  to 
be  near  the  grating ;  but  how  will  the  poor  creatures  in  the 
middle  of  the  crowd  stand  it  ?  " 

"  They  will  not  be  required  to  do  so  long.  This  is  only 
a  temporary  arrangement.  I  am  given  to  understand  that 
to-morrow  morning  we,  the  newly  arrived,  will  be  sent  to 
Belle  Isle.  This  will  relieve  the  others." 

While  Justin  and  Britomarte  talked  together  in  this  low 
tone,  Babel,  or  rather  Bedlam,  was  all  around  them.  The 
groans  rose  to  howls,  complaints  to  threats,  and  prayers  to 
shrieks. 

One  voice  from  the  midst  of  the  crowd  arose  above  all  the 
rest : 

"  Water,  boys — for  the  Lord's  sake,  water  !  Here's  a 
man  fainting.  The  spout  is  in  the  left  hand  corner  near 
the  front  grating.  Draw  the  water  and  pass  it  on  here, 
will  you  ?  " 


456  .  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

There  was  a  muffled  shuffling  among  the  men  nearest  the 
water  spout,  and  then  another  voice  replied  : 

"  The  cnp  is  chained  to  the  spout.     We  can't  pass  it." 

Groans  and  curses  answered  this. 

"  Here,  Justin — here  is  the  flask  of  brandy,  with  the  cup 
fitted  to  it,  that  I  brought  for  you  on  the  field.  Offer  it  to 
them,  Justin,"  said  Britomarte,  passing  the  flask  that  the 
Eebels  had  not  taken  from  her. 

From  Justin  it  was  passed  on  from  hand  to  hand,  until 
it  reached  the  men  nearest  the  water  spout.  They  took 
the  cup  from  the  bottom  of  the  flask,  over  which  it  was 
fitted,  and  they  filled  it  with  water,  and  then  passed  both 
cup  and  flask  from  hand  to  hand  until  it  reached  the  faint- 
ing invalid. 

It  seemed  to  be  useless,  for  the  voice  that  had  spoken 
first  was  heard  again  : 

"  Crowd  back,  boys.  Crowd  back,  for  Heaven's  sake  ! 
Never  mind  flattening  yourselves  half  to  death !  Crowd 
back,  I  say  !  This  man  is  not  fainting — he  is  dying !  Let 
him  have  a  little  room  to  lie  down  and  die." 

There  was  an  attempt  at  "  crowding  back."  The  attempt 
involved  increased  pressure  and  pain,  and  elicited  renewed 
groans  and  curses.  But  four  or  five  feet  of  room  was  made, 
and  the  dying  man  was  let  down  upon  the  ground.  The 
"man"  was  a  boy  of  eighteen.  Those  immediately  around 
him  saw  his  face  darken  with  the  shadow  of  death,  saw  his 
eyes  glaze,  and  heard  his  gasping  breath,  and  the  death 
rattle  in  his  throat,  and  they  saw,  through  all,  his  eager 
anxiety  and  painful  effort  to  speak. 

"  Don't  tell don't  tell don't  tell "  he  began  to 

say  many  times,  and  many  times  he  failed. 

At  length,  in  one  supreme  effort,  he  spoke  his  whole  will. 

"  Don't  tell  mother — never  let  her  hoar — how  wretchedly 
I  die!" 

And  with  these  words,  his  spirit 


THE     SURPRISE.  457 

And  the  groans  and  curses  and  vows  of  vengeance  were 
renewed — more  is  the  pity,  since  the  pure  spirit  that  had 
just  departed  was  doubtlessly  reconciled  to  all  things,  and 
at  peace  with  all  men. 

It  was  a  night  of  horror  and  agony,  unutterable  and  in- 
describable. To  those  who  endured  it,  the  eight  hours  of 
darkness  seemed  eight  years  of  torture.  But  it  passed  at 
last. 

The  pale,  sickly  dawn  of  day  appeared.  The  gas  in  the 
streets  was  turned  off. 

A  little  while  after  sunrise  the  prison  doors  were  opened, 
and  the  prisoners  nearest  the  outlet  burst  forth,  as  the  con- 
tents of  an  over  packed  chest  when  the  lid  is  raised. 

Half  of  them  were  taken  out,  and  marched,  between  a 
detachment  of  Eebel  infantry,  through  the  streets  of  the 
city  en  route  for  Belle  Isle. 

In  one  of  the  most  crowded  thoroughfares,  they  were 
halted  before  a  grim-looking  building  with  grated  windows. 

"What  place  is  that  ?  "  inquired  Britomarte  of  the  Eebel 
soldier  beside  her. 

"  It  is  Castle  Thunder,"  was  the  gruff  reply. 

The  officer  commanding  the  guard  came  near. 

"  Bring  that  prisoner  out  of  the  liues;"  he  ordered,  point- 
ing to  Britomarte. 

And  two  soldiers  seized  her  by  the  two  arms. 

"  Me  ! "  she  exclaimed  in  surprise,  making  an  involun- 
tary but  perfectly  vain  effort  of  resistance. 

"  Yes,  you,  Miss  Bridget  Martin  !  "  said  the  officer. 

"What  are  you  about  to  do  with  me?"  she  demanded, 
recovering  her  self-possession,  and  ceasing  to  resist  where 
resistance  would  be  unavailing  and  undignified. 

"  We  are  going  to  put  you  in  Castle  Thunder ;  you  are 
not  to  be  treated  as  a  prisoner  of  war,  but  to  be  tried  as  a 

W 

"  I ! "  she  exclaimed,  in  amazement. 


458  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

"  Yes,  you,  Miss  Bridget  Martin  !  "  replied  the  officer  in 
a  mocking  tone. 

Britomarte  looked  around  in  despair  for  Justin.  She 
knew,  of  course,  that  he  could  not  help  her.  She  only 
wished  to  take  leave  of  him,  before  going  into  a  captivity 
that  was  likely  to  end  in  death.  But  Justin  was  nowhere 
to  be  seen.  He  was,  in  fact,  several  hundred  yards  in 
advance  of  her  in  the  line  of  march. 

So  Britomarte  was  taken  into  Castle  Thunder,  and 
delivered  into  the  custody  of  the  officer  in  command  of  that 
prison.  First  she  was  led  into  an  office  where  her  supposed 
name — Bridget  Martin — was  recorded  in  the  prison  books, 
and  where  a  receipt  was  taken  from  the  warden  for  her 
person.  Then  she  was  conducted  to  a  cell  opening  on  a 
corridor  on  the  second  floor,  and  having  a  broad  grated 
window  looking  out  upon  the  street.  This  cell  was  about 
seven  by  five  in  size,  and  was  provided  with  a  narrow 
mattress  laid  upon  the  floor,  and  covered  with  a  gray 
blanket.  There  was  no  other  furniture  whatever. 

Yet  still,  how  much  better  her  situation  was  here  than  it 
had  been  in  the  Libby ! 

As  soon  as  the  door  was  closed,  and  the  key  was  turned, 
and  she  found  herself  alone,  she  sank  down  upon  the 
mattress,  for  she  was  more  than  half  dead  with  fatigue,  and 
rested  with  a  sense  of  infinite  relief. 

When  at  last  she  could  collect  her  thoughts,  she  won- 
dered how  it  was  that  the  rebels  had  discovered  her  sex, 
and  what  had  put  it  into  their  heads  that  her  name  was 
Bridget  Martin.  At  last  her  perspicacity  penetrated  the 
truth  of  the  matter — some  wounded  rebel  on  the  field  near 
them  had  overheard  the  conversation  between  Justin  and 
herself,  and  had  mistaken  her  unfamiliar  name  of  Brito- 
marte for  the  common  one  of  Bridget  Martin.  Farther  it 
appeared  that  they  did  not  know  the  name  under  which  she 
had  served  in  the  Union  army ;  so,  with  a  smile,  Britomari  e 


THE     SURPRISE.  459 

resolved  to  leave  them  in  ignorance  of  her  identity,  and 
under  their  mistake  in  regard  to  her  name. 

She  had  scarcely  formed  this  resolution  when  her  cell-door 
was  opened  and  one  of  the  prison-guard  brought  in  her 
breakfast.  It  was  only  a  small  tin  cup  of  Indian  corn-meal 
gruel ;  and  it  was  unsalted ;  but  Britomarte  was  more  than 
half-famished,  and  she  ate  this  simple  food  with  a  good 
relish.  She  asked  the  guard  if  there  were  many  prisoners 
in  the  building.  He  answered : 

"  Yes,  Miss  ;  four  or  five  in  every  cell ;  but  you  are  put 
here  alone,  because  you  are  a  woman." 

So,  then,  even  her  guard  knew  her  sex !  But,  of  course  ! 
the  name  inscribed  upon  the  prison  books  was  Bridget 
Martin. 

She  then  asked  the  guard  if  she  might  be  permitted  to 
see  the  officer  in  command  of  the  prison. 

He  answered  that  he  would  find  out  as  soon  as  she  should 
be  relieved. 

When  he  took  the  empty  cup  away,  and  "Britomarte 
found  herself  again  alone,  she  took  off  her  military  coat, 
ripped  open  its  padding  and  took  out  a  number  of  green- 
backs ;  and  then  she  put  on  her  coat  again. 

Late  in  the  forenoon  the  commander  of  the  prison,  or 
some  other  officer  evidently  in  authorit3r,  came  into  the  celt 

Britomarte  arose  from  her  sitting  posture  on  the  mattress, 
and  stood  up  to  receive  her  visitor. 

There  was  neither  chair  nor  stool,  so  she  could  not  ask 
him  to  sit  down. 

"  What  is  it  you  wish  to  say  to  me  ?  "  he  inquired. 

A  vivid  blush  overspread  the  face  of  Britomarte  as  sho 
answered : 

"  I  wish  to  know  whether  I  may  be  permitted  to  pur- 
chase garments  suitable  to  my  sex  ?  " 

"  It  is  a  pity  you  ever  abandoned  them,"  said  the  officer. 

"I  do  not   think  so  j  I   have   done   good  service  to  my 


460  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

country  while  wearing  this  uniform.  But  you  have  not 
answered  the  question." 

"I  have  no  authority  to  answer  it.  But  I  will  mate 
inquiries." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Britomarte. 

And  the  visitor,  who  had  appeared  at  her  summons,  like 
a  ghost  evoked  from  the  shades,  now  disappeared  in  the 
same  manner. 

Two  or  three  days  passed  before  the  privilege  she  sued 
for  was  granted  to  her.  But  at  length  she  was  permitted, 
through  the  agency  of  the  prison  officials,  to  purchase  cloth- 
ing and  re-assume  the  dress  of  her  sex.  Also  a  chair  was 
provided  her,  and  coarse  but  clean  sheets,  for  all  of  which 
she  paid  heavily  in  Federal  notes  ;  but  thus  she  enjoyed  a 
comparative  degree  of  comfort. 


CHAPTER  XLIL 
"THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  END.' 

The  conflict  raged !    The  din  of  arms— the  yell 

Of  savage  hate — the  shriek  of  lagony — 

The  groan  of  death,  commingled  in  one  sound 

Of  undistinguished  horrors  ;  while  the  sun, 

Retiring  slow  beneath  the  plain's  far  verge, 

Shed  o'er  the  quiet  hills  his  fading  light.— SOUTHEY. 

FOB  many  months  Britomarte  remained  a  prisoner  in 
Castle  Thunder.  She  was  not  brought  to  trial  as  a  spy. 

She  was  brought  up  once  or  twice  for  an  informal  exam- 
ination before  the  provost  marshal  or  some  other  officer  in 
authority.  But  when  questioned  she  remained  absolutely 
silent;  so  that  no  information  could  be  obtained  from 
her. 

And  the  only  witness  that  could  be  found  to  give  testi- 
mony in  her  case,  was  the  wounded  rebel  soldier  who  had 


"THE    BEGINNING    OF    THE    END."       401 

overheard  the  conversation  between  herself  and  her  lover, 
and  who  swore  that  her  name  as  heard  by  himself  was 
Bridget  Martin. 

So  as  Bridget  Martin  she  was  remanded  to  prison,  where 
ehn  seemed  likely  to  remain  until  the  end  of  the  war. 

That  end  was  not  very  far  off.  General  Grant  was  slowly 
but  surely  fighting  his  \vay  to  Richmond,  winding  around 
it  coil  after  coil  of  that  "  anaconda  grasp  ever  tightening," 
that  was  destined  to  destroy  the  doomed  Confederate  capi- 
tal. 

In  due  time  Colonel  Eosenthal  was  exchanged  and 
released ;  but  so  broken  in  health  from  the  pains  and  priva- 
tions of  his  captivity,  that  when  he  reported  himself  for 
duty  at  his  brigade  headquarters,  he  was  immediately  sent 
home  on  sick  leave. 

And  there  it  required  many  weeks  of  Erminie's  careful 
and  skillful  nursing  before  his  strength  could  be  restored. 

During  all  this  time  Justin  had  been  unremitting  in  his 
efforts  to  hear  tidings  of  Britomarte,  and  to  take  measures- 
±br  her  release.  But  none  of  these  efforts  were  successful. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  when  Britomarte  was  taken 
from  the  prisoners'  line  of  march  to  be  cast  into  Castle 
Thunder,  Justin  was  some  two  squares  ahead,  and  knew 
nothing  of  her  withdrawal. 

When  the  party  of  prisoners  reached  Belle  Isle,  he  looked 
around  for  Britomarte,  and  not  seeing  her,  cautiously 
inquired  among  the  men  who,  some  of  them,  knew  her  by 
sight,  but  only  as  "  Captain  Wing,"  a  commissioned  officer 
of  his  regiment. 

The  men  could  give  no  information,  until  at  length  the 
two  or  three  who  had  marched  nearest  to  her  said  that 
"  Captain  Wing  "  had  been  taken  from  the  line,  when  they 
were  halted  in  one  of  the  streets  of  the  city  j  but  they 
could  not  tell  where  "  he  "  had  been  carried. 

He  inquired  of  the  guard,  who  remained  dumb. 


462  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

Then  he  questioned  the  officer  of  the  guard,  who  gave 
him  no  satisfaction,  but,  on  the  contrary,  turned  cross- 
questioner  himself,  in  order  to  find  out  who  Britomarte  was. 

Justin  saw  his  drift  and  became  silent. 

So  his  investigations  ended  for  that  time,  to  be  renewed 
again  and  again,  both  at  Eichmond  and  at  Washington, 
with  no  better  success. 

She  was  a  prisoner  in  a  solitary  cell  in  Castle  Thunder, 
where  she  was  known  only  by  the  name  which  the  mistaken 
rebel  soldier  had  bestowed  upon  her ;  so  it  was  not  probable, 
or  scarcely  possible,  that  her  friends  should  hear  of  her  con- 
dition. 

Early  in  January,  Justin,  still  in  very  feeble  health,  but 
impatient  to  serve  his  country,  rejoined  his  regiment.  He 
returned  to  the  front,  in  company  with  many  officers  who 
had  been  home  on  furlough  to  spend  the  Christmas  holi- 
days. 

He  found  that  already  the  spring  campaign,  destined  to 
be  the  last  and  greatest  of  the  war,  was  about  to  open. 

Along  the  whole  lines,  active  preparations  were  being 
made  for  a  new  combined  assault  upon  Petersburg  and 
Eichmond. 

General  Grant  was  at  City  Point,  with  the  whole  plan  of 
the  campaign  in  his  comprehensive  brain,  and  directing  the 
operations  of  the  whole  army  with  consummate  skill.  There 
had  been  many  changes  in  the  army  since  Colonel  Eosen- 
thal  had  fought  with  them  in  the  battles  of  Cold  Harbor. 
Officers  by  thousands  and  enlisted  men  by  tens  of  thousands, 
had  been  killed,  wounded,  or  taken  prisoners,  in  the  scores 
of  battles  that  had  been  fought  between  the  Pamunkey,  the 
Chickahominy,  and  the  James  rivers,  and  around  Peters- 
burg. And  their  places  had  been  filled  up  with  raw 
recruits.  Veteran  privates  had  developed  into  commissioned 
officers,  and  officers  of  the  line  had  grown  into  regimental, 
brigade,  and  even  division  commanders.  But  it  was  only 


"THE    BEGINNING    OF    THE    EN  D."       463 

"gallant  and  meritorious  conduct"  in  the  service  that  was 
thus  distinguished. 

For  instance,  little  Mim,  who,  at  the  battle  of  the  Chick- 
ahominy,  in  June,  was  only  a  private  soldier  in  an  infantry 
regiment,  was  now  major  and  aid-de-camp  on  the  staff  of  a 
division  general,  while  JBillingcoo,  who  was  mustered  in  at 
the  same  time  with  Mini,  remained  still  a  very  sorry  soldier 
of  the  rank  and  file. 

But  then  Mim  was  a  little  hero,  ever  foremost  in  the 
fight,  by  his  high-hearted  bravery  and  devotion  ever  inspir- 
ing and  encouraging  all  around  him,  while  Billingcoo,  in 
every  engagement,  was  flagrantly  among  the  skulkers,  and 
ran  away  and  hid  himself  whenever  he  could  get  an  oppor- 
tunity to  do  so. 

And  singularly  enough,  Mim,  who  constantly  exposed 
himself  in  the  front  of  battle,  seemed,  even  under  a  storin 
of  shot  and  shell,  to  bear  a  charmed  life  ;  while  Billingcoo, 
who  gave  his  whole  mind  to  the  duty  of  taking  care  of  his 
body,  was  always  getting  hurt.  And  once,  while  hiding 
behind  »>barn,  one  day,  to  keep  out  of  the  range  of  shot, 
he  had  his  ear  torn  off  by  a  splinter  from  a  shell  that  came 
splitting  its  way  through  the  timbers  of  the  building. 

When  Colonel  Eosenthal  met  Mim,  he  congratulated 
that  gallant  officer  on  his  well-earned  advancement. 

"  Thanks,"  said  the  little  hero,  drawing  himself  up.  "  I 
always  told  the  recruiting  officers,  when  I  offered  myself, 
that  I  could  do  good  military  service  for  my  country,  but 
they  never  agreed  with  me,  and  in  the  face  of  the  fact  that 
almost  every  great  martial  hero  the  world  has  known,  from 
Alexander  to  Napoleon,  was  a  little  man,  they  repeatedly 
refused  me.  Yes,  they  refused  me  until  things  came  to 
such  a  pass  that  for  want  of  men  they  were  compelled,  like 
the  feast  giver  in  the  Bible,  to  call  in  '  the  maimed,  the 
halt  and  the  blind.'  The  Invalid  Corps,  you  know,  Colonel, 
Then  at  length  they  consented  to  take  me" 


461  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

"  And  you  have  done  good  service  to  your  country,  and 
great  credit  to  yourself,  Major  Mim,"  answered  Justin. 

With  Billingcoo  Justin  did  not  happen  to  come  in  con- 
tact at  all. 

And  now,  about  the  last  of  January,  the  most  energetic 
arrangements  were  made  to  close  in  around  Petersburg  and 
Richmond.  The  whole  army  was  in  the  most  active  prepa- 
ration. 

The  first  object  was  to  seize  the  South  Side  Railroad. 

To  absorb  the  attention  of  the  enemy,  a  heavy  cannon- 
ading was  opened  upon  Petersburg,  hurling  an  overwhelm- 
ing tempest  of  shot  and  shell  into  the  city. 

Under  cover  of  this  terrific  assault  in  the  front,  the  sick, 
the  wounded,  the  sutlers,  the  camp  followers,  with  all  their 
baggage,  and  all  other  animate  and  inanimate  incumbrances 
to  the  movements  of  the  army,  were  dispatched  by  railroad 
to  City  Point,  and  all  serviceable  troops  and  supplies  were 
brought  up  and  massed  on  the  left. 

As  early  as  three  o'clock  on  Sunday,  the  fifth  of  February, 
under  cover  of  the"  darkness,  Gregg's  division  of  cavalry 
commenced  its  march,  followed  immediately  by  the  Fifth 
and  Second  Corps.  The  weather  was  glorious,  the  roads  in 
the  best  condition,  and  the  men  in  the  best  spirits. 

It  was  rather  a  strange  coincidence  that  Colonel  Rosen- 
thal's  last  engagement,  in  which  he  was  wounded  and  taken 
prisoner,  had  boen  in  a  charge  upon  Wade  Hampton's  cav- 
alry, and  that  his  first  encounter  on  rejoining  his  regiment 
should  be  with  the  same  brave  foe.  But  such  were  the  facts, 
for— 

They  had  advanced  but  a  little  way  beyond  Eeam's  Sta- 
tion, on  the  Dinwiddie  Court  House  Road,  when  they  were 
met  by  Wade  Hampton's  cavalry,  with  whom  they  had  a 
fierce  contest  for  the  right  of  way,  before  they  could  pass. 
But  again  they  were  victorious,  and  rushed  onward  like  a 
whirlwind  towards  Dinwiddie  Court  House,  encountering 
and  overwhelming  the  enemy  at  every  post  along  the  road. 


"THE    BEGINNING    OF    THE    END."      465 

The  other  divisions  advanced  by  adjacent  roads  running 
in  the  same  general  direction,  battling  every  mile  of  the 
way. 

But  the  great  battle  was  fought  on  Monday,  the  sixth  of 
February,  at  Hatcher's  Run,  a  deep  stream  passing  through 
a  nearly  pathless  wilderness,  broken  into  fearful  ravines, 
stagnant  marshes,  and  heavy  woods — a  locality  new  to  our 
soldiers,  but  perfectly  familiar  to  the  enemy. 

Here,  at  length,  the  farther  advance  of  our  army  was  for 
the  time  effectually  checked. 

A  battle  was  commenced  early  in  the  day,  and  gradually 
increased  in  violence,  until  at  nightfall  it  raged  with  tre- 
mendous fury.  Gregg's  division  of  cavalry,  and  Warren's 
and  Humphrey's  corps,  were  all  engaged.  Again  and  again 
they  pressed  forward  under  a  pelting  shower  of  bullets,  that 
fell  thick,  fast  and  blinding  as  a  hailstorm,  and  again  and 
again  they  were  driven  back,  fighting  desperately  behind 
rocks,  stumps  and  trees.  So  often  they  fought  over  the  same 
ground,  that  the  woods  and  marshes  were  strewn  thickly 
with  the  dead  and  dying  of  both  armies,  in  an  undistin- 
guishable  confusion. 

The  circumstances  were  very  discouraging  to  brave  men, 
but  very  favorable  to  skulkers ;  and  unluckily  there  were 
skulkers  in  that  heroic  army,  but  they  were  mostly  to  be 
found  among  the  raw  recruits — soft  metal — that  had  not  yet 
been  hardened  in  the  fires  of  an  hundred  battles. 

Prom  time  to  time  staff  officers  were  sent  out,  like  whip- 
pers-in  of  hounds,  to  hunt  up  these  heroes  and  hurry  them  to 
their  line. 

Major  Mim,  being  an  active,  energetic  little  fellow,  was 
dispatched  on  just  such  a  duty.  In  the  course  of  his  ride 
through  the  wilderness,  he  came  upon  Billingcoo  lurking  in 
a  thicket. 

"  Get  up  and  go  to  your  company,  sir,"  said  Mini. 

"  Oh,  I  can't !  I  can't,  indeed !     Hear  how  the  thots  are 
29 


466  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

cracking  and  thnapping  about !  And  look  how  the  men  are 
dropping !  Oh,  the  poor  fellowth  !  oh,  the  poor,  dear  fel- 
lowth  !  "  whimpered  Billingcoo. 

"For  shame,  sir!  Get  up,  and  go  and  help  the  'poor 
fellowths '  you  profess  to  feel  so  much  sympathy  for,"  said 
Mirn. 

"  I  can't !  indeed  I  can't !  The  bulleth  hurt !  they  do 
indeed,  Mathor  !  And  the  Eebelth  fire  without  the  thligh- 
teth  regard  to  a  man's  life  !  Oh,  look  how  they  are  falling ! 
Oh,  poor  fellowth  !  oh,  the  poor,  poor  fellowth  !  "  howled 
Billingcoo.  *  • 

"  The  brave  fellows,  you  mean ;  get  up  and  imitate  them." 

"  Oh,  I  couldn't !  I  couldn't  for  my  life  !  I  thould  be 
thertain  to  be  killed  !  The  Eebelth  fire  tho  carelethly,  not 
minding  who  they  hit !  I  feel  I  thould  be  killed ! 

"  Suppose  you  are  killed,  you  poltroon  !  what  of  it  ?  A 
man  can  die  but  once  ! "  exclaimed  little  Mim,  thoroughly 
provoked. 

"  I  tell  you  I've  died  a  thouthand  death  thinth  I've  been 
in  the  army  !  I've  died  a  hundred  death  thinth  I've  been. 
in  thith  thicket !  " 

"  And  you'll  die  a  hundred  thousand  more  if  you  do  not 
get  over  your  cowardly  fears  !  Look  at  that  young  fellow 
there  !  "  said  Mim,  pointing  to  a  young  officer  at  some  dis- 
tance who,  with  sword  in  hand,  was  gaily  cheering  on  his 
men  to  the  conflict. 

Billingcoo  looked ;  but  at  that  moment  a  shell  came  tear- 
ing and  splitting  its  way  through  the  woods,  and  when  the 
smoke  cleared  away,  a  horrible  picture  was  revealed  between 
its  rifts.  The  young  officer  stood  in  the  same  attitude, 
w;th  his  sword  drawn  and  held  at  arm's  length  over  his 
head,  but  his  whole  face  was  blown  off,  and  nothing  but  a 
gory,  crimson,  quivering  mass  of  flesh  remained  where  it 
had  been.  For  only  an  instant  he  stood  thus,  and  then 

fell. 


'THE    BEGINNING    OF    THE    END."     407 

Billingcoo  uttered  a  cry  of  horror  and  deadly  terror,  and 
threw  himself  forward  upon  the  ground. 

Even  Mim  shuddered,  and  covered  his  eyes  for  a  moment ; 
but  then  recovering  herself,  he  looked  up  and  said : 

"  It  is  all  over  by  this  time ;  the  brave  young  fellow  is 
out  of  his  misery.  Come,  Billingcoo  !  I  have  been  sent  to 
hurry  up  all  laggards.  Get  up !  Pick  up  your  musket 
and  march  !  " 

"  I  tell  you  I  can't — there  !  and  I  won't  neither — there  ! 
Do  you  think  I  want  to  have  my  fathe  blown  to  pieth  like 
that  young  man'th  !  I  say  I  can't  and  I  won't'  go !  I  am 
religiouthly  oppothed  to  war  !  "  answered  Billingcoo,  lifting 
his  head  for  a  moment,  and  then  letting  it  fall. 

"  You  say  you  can't  and  you  won't !  Well,  I  say  you 
must  and  you  shall ! "  exclaimed  Mim,  goading  the  sides  of 
the  prostrate  coward  with  the  point  of  his  drawn  sword. 

"Oh  !  look  here  now  !  That  hurth  !  Thtop  that !  " 
cried  Billingcoo. 

"  Get  up  then,  and  go  to  your  company ! "  said  Mim, 
goading  him  more  pointedly  than  ever. 

"  Oh  lor !  oh  dear !  oh  me !  call  this  a  free  country 
indeed  !  Thtop  that  now,  will  you  !  It  Mirth,  I  tell  you  ! " 

"Get  up,  then  !"  repeated  Mim,  digging  at  him  again. 

But  at  that  moment  a  minie  ball  came  whizzing  towards 
them,  piercing  the  leg  of  Mim  and  killing  his  horse,  which 
instantly  fell  under  him ;  so  that  both  rider  and  horse  rolled 
on  the  ground. 

"Hurrah!  hurrah!  hurrah!"  shouted  Billingcoo.  "I 
don't  bear  you  any  ill-will,  old  fellow ;  but  I  do  think  it 
therveth  you  right,  and  I  do  thank  the  goodneth  grathiouth 
alive  for  thith  great  deliveranth  !  " 

And  he  jumped  up,  cut  three  or  four  capers  in  the  air, 
and  ran  farther  away  out  of  gun-shot ;  for  the  battle  was 
now  surging  nearer  and  nearer  to  them. 

Every  one  knows  that  on  that  night  our  army  was  beaten 


468  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

back  to  their  intrenchuients  upon  Hatcher's  Run,  where 
they  made  a  final  stand. 

The  next  day,  when  the  wounded  were  looked  up,  Mim 
was  found  with  his  leg  hurt  beside  his  dead  horse.  And 
some  distance  farther  on  Billingcoo  was  found  dead — trans- 
fixed with  a  splinter  driven  into  his  body  by  a  shell  that 
had  torn  its  way  through  the  old  log  cabin  behind  which 
the  poor  creature,  with  his  usual  fatuity,  had  hidden  himself 
in  fancied  security. 

Our  army  were  now  in  undisputed  possession  of  Hatcher's 
Run.  And  the  City  Point  Railroad  was  in  good  working 
order  up  to  this  post. 

But,  as  every  one  knows,  it  was  three  weeks  later,  and 
after  almost  incessant  fighting  along  the  White  Oak  Eoad, 
culminating  in  the  terrific  battle  of  the  Five  Forks,  that 
the  South  Side  Railroad  was  at  length  seized  and  destroyed, 
the  Confederate  army  totally  routed,  and  the  way  opened  to 
the  occupation  of  Richmond  and  Petersburg  by  our  troops. 

It  would  be  presumptuous  in  a  mere  story-writer  to  dwell 
upon  these  magnificent  themes,  so  much  beyond  her  power 
of  treatment.  This  story  does  not  pretend  to  be  a  history 
of  the  campaign  or  of  any  portion  of  it ;  it  is  only  a  simple 
narrative  of  the  part  taken  therein  by  certain  persons  in 
whom  we  are  interested.  And  besides,  it  would  be  useless 
to  dilate  upon  events  that  are  still  fresh  in  the  memory  of 
all.  All  recollect — how  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific, 
and  from  the  Lakes  to  the  Gulf — how  all  the  land  rang 
with  joy,  how  all  the  cities  glowed  with  light,  how  all  the 
banners  waved  in  triumph — when  the  vibrating  telegraphic 
wires  flashed  East  and  West — flashed  North  and  South — 
the  proud  words : 

"  Richmond  and  Petersburg  ar«  ours !  One  third  of 
Lee's  army  is  destroyed.  And  for  the  rest  there  is  no 
escape." 

And  yet,  even  among  the  most  loyal  of  the  Union  party, 


DELIVERANCE      AT      LAST.  469 

vnostly  among  them  perhaps,  was  this  joy  mingled  with  sad- 
ness, for  they  were  no  alien  foes  that  our  arms  had  van- 
quished. 


CHAPTEE  XLIII. 

DELIVERANCE   AT   LAST. 

Who  knew,  she  thought,  what  the  amazement, 

The  eruption  of  clatter  and  blaze  ireant, 

And  if,  in  this  morning  of  wonder, 

Ho  outlet  mid  lightning  and  thunder, 

Lay  broad,  and  her  shackles  all  shivered, 

The  captive,  at  last,  was  delivered? 

Aye,  that  was  the  open  sky  o'erhead ! 

And  you  saw  by  the  Hash  in  her  forehead. 

By  the  hope  in  those  eyes,  broad  and  steady, 

She  was  leagues  o'er  the  free  earth  already — ROBERT  BBOWNINO. 

"I  was  sick,  and  in  prison  and  ye  visited  me  not! " 

AH  !  in  all  our  great  cities,  how  many  human  beings 
there  are  "  sick  and  in  prison,"  whose  lot  is  much  more 
miserable  than  that  of  the  poorest  beggar  who  enjoys  the 
free  air!  These  are  not  always  criminals,  but  they  are 
almost  always  friendless ;  for  who  dreams  of  visiting 
them?" 

"I  was  sick,  and  in  prison,  and  ye  visited  me  not!" 
These  pathetic  words  of  Our  Saviour  recurred  to  my  mind, 
with  my  recollection  of  one  heroic  young  woman,  who,  for 
no  other  crime  than  that  of  serving  her  country  according 
to  her  own  conscience,  was,  for  a  great  length  of  time,  con- 
fined in  the  solitary  cell  of  a  Confederate  prison. 

Britomarte,  for  many  weary  months,  remained  a  captive 
in  Castle  Thunder.  The  tediousness,  the  heaviness,  the 
wretchedness  of  this  captivity,  who  can  imagine  ? 

She  was  more  than  a  suspected  spy  in  the  hands  of  the 
enemy,  and  as  such,  she  was  only  saved  from  the  usual  fate 
of  a  spy  by  that  consideration  for  her  sex  which  restrained 
her  captors  from  putting  a  woman  to  death  for  anything 


470  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

less  than  a  capital  crime  proved  upon  her — not  by  circum- 
stantial evidence,  but  by  direct  testimony. 

Yet  was  her  captivity  even  more  bitter  and  terrible  than 
death.  She  was  debarred  from  books,  newspapers,  com- 
panionship, and  from  conversation,  even  with  her  guards. 
She  could  get  no  intelligence  of  her  friends  or  her  country. 

Whether  Colonel  Rosenthal  had  recovered,  or  had  died  of 
his  wounds,  or  whether  he  had  been  exchanged,  or  was  still 
a  prisoner  at  Belle  Isle,  she  could  not  surmise. 

Whether  General  Grant  had  crossed  the  James  and  in- 
vested Eichmond,  or  whether  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
had  again  been  beaten  back  to  Washington,  she  did  not 
know. 

Occasionally,  from  the  shouts  that  filled  the  city  st3«ets 
by  day,  and  the  lights  that  illumined  the  city  windows  by 
night,  she  conjectured  that  a  Confederate  victory  had  been 
gained,  or  a  false  report  of  such  a  victory  spread. 

These  were  her  only  sources  of  even  conjecture. 

In  solitude,  in  silence,  in  idleness,  in  close  confinement, 
intense  anxiety  and  maddening  suspense,  the  heavy  days 
and  nights,  the  horrible  autumn  and  winter  of  her  captivity 
crept  slowly  into  the  past.  For  months  her  brave  soul  bore 
nobly  up. 

But  as  the  spring  opened,  bringing  life  and  light  and 
beauty  to  all  the  earth,  but  no  ray  of  joy,  or  hope,  or  com- 
fort, into  her  prison  cell,  her  body,  soul  and  spirit  all  broke 
down. 

These  were  the  darkest  hours  of  her  long  dreary  night  of 
misery,  but  like  such  hours,  they  fell  just  before  the  dawn 
of  her  new,  sweet  day  of  joy. 

It  was  the  ever  memorable  second  of  April,  eighteen 
hundred  and  sixty-five.  Up  to  this  day,  the  great  Confed- 
erate capital  had  continued  confident  in  its  own  fancied 
security,  and  even  now  it  was  as  utterly  unconscious  of  its 
fast  approaching  capture,  as  was  the  solitary  prisoner  in 
Castle  Thunder  of  her  quickly  coming. deliverance 


DELIVERANCE     AT     LAST.  471 

It  was  Sunday,  and  the  sweet  Sabbath  peace  reigned  over 
the  city. 

Britomarte  sat  at  the  grated  window  of  her  cell,  as  she 
had  sat — how  many  heavy  days  and  sleepless  nights  !  She 
was  almost  as  fleshless  as  a  skeleton,  as  bloodless  as  a 
corpse,  and  as  hopeless  as  a  lost  spirit.  She  had  been  listen- 
ing to  the  solemn  Sabbath  bells  calling  the  citizens  to  their 
afternoon  worship  ;  she  had  been  watching  these  citizens, 
both  male  and  female,  young  and  old,  troop  past,  in  their 
quaint,  faded,  and  old-fashioned  apparel,  that  the  severity 
of  the  blockade  compelled  them  still  to  wear,  and  she  had 
been  wondering  wearily  at  the  strange  self-delusion  and  in- 
consistency which  permitted  these  people  to  collect  apd 
pray  like  Christians  in  their  churches,  and  to  muster  and 
make  war  like  heathen  upon  their  brethren. 

But  now  the  bells  had  ceased  to  ring,  the  churches  were 
filled,  and  the  streets  were  empty.  Her  head  dropped  upon 
i.er  hand,  and  she  sat  in  dull  despair,  while  the  hours  crept 
slowly  by,  and  the  sun  sank  slowly  to  his  setting. 

Then  the  cry  of  her  heart  went  up  : 

"  '  How  long,  0  Lord,  how  long  ?  '  " 

Not  long  now,  oh  pale  prisoner!  "The  day  of  the  Lord 
is  at  hand,  at  hand."  The  sun  has  set  for  the  last  time 
upon  the  Rebel  capital.  To-morrow  it  will  rise  upon  a  re- 
deemed city. 

Even  now  Lee's  army  is  in  full  retreat.  And  those  Sab- 
bath bells  you  late  heard  ringing  summoned,  among  others, 
one  worshipper  to  church,  who  ere  he  left  his  pew  again,  re- 
ceived a  telegram  announcing,  in  effect,  that  his  reign  was 
over  and  his  city  about  to  be  taken. 

Even  now  the  trains  of  cars  at  the  station  of  the  Eich- 
mond  and  Danville  Railroad  are  seized  for  the  use  of  the 
Confederate  President  and  his  retinue,  who  are  about  to  fly 
from  the  falling  capital.  Breckenridge  and  his  army  have 
received  orders  to  evacuate  Richmond  by  midnight ;  but  he 


472  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

has  resolved  to  leave  behind  him  a  tremendous  token  of  ven- 
geance by  destroying  the  city  that  they  could  not  hold. 
There  is  an  ever-increasing  noise  and  confusion  through- 
out the  city,  though  as  yet  the  people  are  kept  in  ignor- 
ance and  do  not  know  what  all  the  excitement  is  about. 

Britomarte,  sitting  at  the  grated  window  of  her  prison 
cell,  and  seeing  the  crowds  hurry  through  the  streets, 
thought  at  first  that  they  were  the  congregations  dismissed 
from  the  several  churches. 

But  as  the  crowds  became  multitudes,  and  the  confusion 
became  uproar,  she  began  to  think  that  news  of  eome 
great  battle  had  been  received ;  but  whether  the  people 
were  howling  over  a  defeat  or  hurrahing  over  a  victory, 
she  could  not  discover. 

While  she  was  enduring  this  suspense,  the  door  of  her 
cell  was  unlocked,  and  the  guard,  or  turnkey,  who  attended 
her,  brought  in  the  cup  of  unsalted  corn  meal  meal  gruel 
that  formed  her  usual  supper. 

For  months  she  had  ceased  to  speak  to  her  guards, 
because  they  had  been  forbidden  to  hold  any  conversa- 
tion with  her.  But  now  the  unexplained  uproar  of  the 
Avhole  city,  the  excited  looks  of  this  man,  and  her  own 
intense  anxiety,  irresistibly  impelled  her  to  question  him. 

"  What  is  the  matter  outside  ?  "  she  eagerly  inquired. 

He  hesitated  a  moment,  glanced  at  her  anxious  counte- 
nance, and  then,  with  a  harsh  laugh,  he  answered  : 

"  Don't  you  know  ?  The  Army  of  the  Potomac  is  utterly 
destroyed.  Grant  and  all  his  generals  are  taken  prisoners, 
and  are  on  their  way  to  the  city.  And  the  mob  mean  to 
lynch  them,  if  the  president  and  the  general  don't  prevent 
it." 

"  My  God ! "  exclaimed  Britomarte  ;  and  the  cup  of  gruel 
fell  untasted  from  her  hands. 

Having  told  this  bitter  falsehood,  the  guard  picked  up  the 
fragments  of  the  broken  cup,  and,  laughing  sarcastically, 
left  the  cell,  and  locked  the  door. 


DELIVERANCE     AT     LAST.  473 

Britomarte  remained  with  her  hands  lifted  in  appeal  to 
Heaven. 

Did  she  then  believe  the  terrible  tale  ?  Not  entirely ;  nor 
did  the  mocking  guard  expect  that  she  would  do  so. 

But  she  was  enfeebled  and  enervated  in  body  and  mind  by 
her  long  solitary  confinement ;  and  she  succumbed  to  the 
shock  of  that  announcement  before  she  could  reflect  upon  its 
improbability. 

When,  however,  she  had  time  to  recover  her  composure, 
and  to  arrange  her  thoughts,  she  perceived  that  the  guard 
had  gone  too  far  in  hinting  that  the  mob  proposed  to  lynch 
the  illustrious  prisoners  said  to  have  been  taken.  And  in 
utterly  rejecting  this  part  of  the  story  as  impossible,  she 
was  led  to  question  the  whole  of  it  as  improbable.  Though 
this  conclusion  saved  her  from  despair,  it  did  not  moderate 
her  anxiety. 

She  pressed  her  face  to  the  bars  of  her  prison  window, 
and  watched  and  listened  with  "  all  "  her  eyes  and  ears  to 
discover  if  possible  the  true  cause  of  all  the  uproar  in  the 
city. 

The  night  was  now  quite  dark,  or  would  have  been  so 
but  for  the  gas  lamps  at  the  corners. 

A  torrent  of  human  beings  rushed  through  the  streets,  a 
confusion  of  many  tongues  rose  on  the  air. 

"  What  can  be  the  matter?  "  she  asked  of  herself  for  the 
hundreth  time.  "  If  there  really  should  have  been  a  recent 
Confederate  victory,  as  the  guard  stated,  I  shall  soon  know. 
In  that  case  there  will  be  an  impromptu  and  partial  illu- 
mination to-night,  and  a  concerted  and  general  one  to- 
morrow night." 

But  the  hours  crept  on  towards  midnight,  and  there  was 
no  illumination. 

Meanwhile  the  multitude  of  people,  ever  increasing  in 
number  and  gathering  in  force,  continued  tc  roll  on  like  a 
river  with  resistless  impetuousity  through  the  streets ;  and 


474  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

the  babel  of  many  voices  to  whirl  like  a  tornado  in  a  cease- 
less roar  up  into  the  midnight  air.  Yet  these  voices  were 
not  the  utterances  of  victors  ;  these  fierce  invectives  and 
deep  maledictions  were  not  exclamations  of  joy  or  triumph  ! 

What  could  be  their  purport  then  ? 

Britomarte  could  not  answer.  She  could  only  watch  and 
listen  in  intense  anxiety  and  awful  suspense. 

At  length  the  bell  of  some  neighboring  public  building 
tolled. 

And  simultaneously  with  this  knell  there  rolled  up  into 
the  cool  night  air,  against  the  clear  purple  sky,  a  huge, 
black,  crimson  and  sulphurous  volume  of  smoke  ! 

The  illumination  was  about  to  appear,  but  not  in  the 
character  she  had  expected  to  see  it. 

This  was  a  fire,  she  knew,  but  whence  or  where  she  knew 
not.  She  could  only  watch  and  listen  as  before. 

The  black  and  crimson  smoke  speedily  burst  into  flame, 
and  all  the  earth  and  all  the  heavens  were  lighted  up  as  by 
a  general  conflagration. 

So  might  have  belched  forth  the  subterranean  fires  of 
Vesuvius  upon  the  doomed  cities  of  Herculaneum  and 
Pompeii ! 

Viewed  from  her  window,  the  scene  was  wild,  splendid 
and  magnificent  beyond  description.  Against  the  broad- 
ening sheets  of  flame  the  city  buildings  stood  up  black, 
stark  and  spectral,  while  all  the  crowded  streets  between 
them  formed  a  Pandemonium. 

The  ocean  of  fire  rolled  on  and  on.  Every  nook  of  the 
city  was  intensely  illuminated.  The  inside  of  her  own  cell 
was  so  dazzlingly  lighted  up  that  she  had  to  close  her 
eyes,  at  intervals,  to  relieve  them  of  the  blinding  glare. 
And  the  sea  of  flame  rolled  on  and  on  ! 

And  the  horror  was  presently  augmented,  when,  with 
tremendous  reports  that  rent  the  air  and  shook  the  ground 
like  an  earthquake,  magazine  after  magazine  exploded, 


DELIVERANCE     AT      LAST.  475 

sending  blazing  timbers,  bricks,  mortar,  and  every  descrip- 
tion of  ignited  missile,  whirling  through  the  city ;  while  a 
driving  shower  of  sparks  and  burning  coals  fell  like  the 
rain  of  fire  that  consumed  Sodom  and  Gomorrah ! 

"  Grant  is  before  the  inner  line  of  intrenchments,  and  is 
shelling  the  city,"  was  the  natural  conclusion  of  Britomarte, 
as  she  heard  the  detonating  thunder  of  the  frequent  explo- 
sions, the  dreadful  crash  of  falling  buildings,  and  the  fierce 
cries  of  the  infuriated  mob ;  as  she  saw  the  flood  of  flame 
and  the  rain  of  burning  coals. 

"  And  when  he  takes  the  city,  at  what  a  stupendous  cost 
of  life.  It  will  be  utterly  destroyed,  with  all  its  people. 
And  we,  the  Union  prisoners,  will  find  our  only  deliverance 
through  a  death  by  fire." 

And  Britomarte  sank  to  her  knees,  and  covered  her  eyes, 
and  bowed  her  head,  and  prayed — not  in  fear  for  herself,  for 
she  was  brave  to  meet  the  fire,  but  in  pity  for  the  innocent 
children,  the  delicate  women,  the  suffering  invalids,  and  all 
the  helpless  and  harmless  that  she  thought  must  go  down 
with  the  strong  and  the  guilty  in  this  general  destruction. 

Long  and  earnestly  she  prayed  to  the  Lord  of  Heaven 
and  earth  to  mitigate  the  horrors  of  this  most  horrible 
night. 

When  at  length  she  arose,  and  looked  out  upon  the  burn- 
ing city,  she  beheld  a  scene  which,  in  its  sublime  terrors, 
overwhelmed  her  senses,  and  brought  to  her  appalled  soul 
the  vision  of  "that  dreadful  day,  that  day  of  wrath,"  when 
the  firmament  shall  melt  with  a  fervid  heat,  the  heavens  be 
rolled  together  as  a  scroll,  and  the  sun,  moon  and  stars  be 
blotted  out. 

The  flood  of  flame  rolled  and  roared  on  and  on  with 
devouring  fury ;  the  rain  of  fire  and  burning  cinders  fell 
thick  and  blinding  as  a  hailstorm.  And  the  explosion 
of  shells,  torpedoes  and  powder  magazines  still  rent  the  sky 
and  shook  the  earth.  And  the  groans  and  the  curses  of 
men,  and  the  shrieks  of  women  and  children,  filled  the  air ! 


476  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

Overcome  with  horror  in  her  weakened  condition,  she 
•who  had  often  led  the  charge  in  person  to  the  very  cannon's 
mouth,  now  shrank  away,  covered  her  face  with  her  hands, 
reeled  and  fell  on  her  prison  floor  in  a  deadly  swoon. 

In  a  mercifully  permitted  unconsciousness,  she  lay  for 
nearly  two  hours. 

When  she  recovered  day  had  dawned,  and  the  unhallowed 
glare  of  the  conflagration  was  fading  in  the  hlessed  heams 
of  the  rising  sun. 

There  were  no  more  explosions.  The  supposed  bombard- 
ment  seemed  to  have  ceased.  And  with  its  cessation,  the 
shower  of  sparks,  and  burning  cinders,  and  the  whirling 
storm  of  fiery  missiles  had  passed  away.  The  flames  still 
raged  and  roared  up  into  the  sky,  hut  they  did  not  seem  to 
spread,  and  they  looked  paler  and  less  terrible  by  daylight. 
There  was  still  a  multitudinous  sound  of  many  feet  and 
many  tongues  in  the  streets,  but  the  character  of  these 
sounds  had  changed.  They  were  eager,  joyous,  triumph- 
ant! 

Stiff  and  sore,  bewildered  and  confused,  she  arose  and 
went  to  the  grated  window,  and  looked  forth. 

Oh  !  joy  !  joy !  joy  !  Deliverance  at  last  ?  The  street 
was  filled  with  a  procession  of  dark  figures,  but  these  fig- 
ures wore  the  blue  uniform  of  the  United  States  soldiers ! 
She  recognized  them.  Her  regiment  had  stood  beside 
them  on  many  a  well-fought  field,  and  last  of  all  at  Cold 
Harbor,  where  she  had  been  taken  prisoner  !  They  were  a 
detachment  of  the  colored  soldiers  forming  Weitzel's  Divi- 
sion of  the  gallant  Ninth  Corps. 

And  they  were  about  to  open  her  prison  doors  ! 

Now,  while  they  halted  in  the  middle  of  the  street  in 
front  of  the  prison,  they  were  hailed  and  welcomed  with 
tears  and  praises  by  the  colored  population  that  filled  the 
sidewalk. 

They  were  officered  by  young  white  men ;  one  of  those 


DELIVERANCE     AT     LAST.  477 

attracted  Britomarte's  especial  attention.  He  was  a  gallant 
little  fellow,  full  of  fire,  spirit  and  vivacity.  He  was 
mounted  on  a  fine  horse,  and  rode  hither  and  thither,  main- 
taining order  among  his  excited  soldiers  and  their  overjoyed 
friends. 

Britomarte  knew  him,  or  had  known  him,  as  little  Mim, 
and  he  had  known  and  admired  her  but  only  as  Miss  Con- 
yers.  Afterwards,  when  she  was  known  as  Captain  Wing, 
and  he  as  Private  Mini,  she  had  recognized  him  again,  but 
he  had  not  identified  her  in  her  new  character.  At  the 
battle  of  Cold  Harbor,  where  she  had  been  taken  prisoner, 
he  had  still  been  a  private.  Now,  however,  he  wore  the 
uniform  of  a  commissioned  officer,  though  of  what  grade 
she  could  not,  from  her  point  of  view,  determine. 

She  seized  the  bars  of  her  grated  window,  and  shook  and 
rattled  them  ;  she  put  her  wasted  hand  through,  them  and 
waved  it ;  she  called  and  shouted,  but  her  voice  was  weak, 
and  the  din  below  was  deafening  ;  so  that  she  failed  to  at- 
tract attention  until  Major  Mim,  happening  to  look  up,  saw 
the  wasted  hand  waving  through  the  grated  window.  He 
did  not  recognize  Miss  Conyers  then,  but  he  saw  that  the 
pale  hand  belonged  to  an  imprisoned  woman,  and  that  was 
quite  enough  to  fire  the  blood  of  such  a  devoted  "  squire  of 
dames  "  as  Major  Mim. 

He  had  been  just  on  the  point  of  opening  the  prison  doors 
to  release  such  of  our  people  as  he  might  happen  to  find  there, 
this  being  his  appointed  duty  on  the  premises,  but  now  he 
hurried  his  movements. 

Calling  to  four  or  five  surbordinate  officers  to  follow  him, 
he  entered  the  prison.  There  were  none  to  resist  him. 
The  guards  had  run  away  hours  before. 

Britomarte,  in  her  cell,  heard  the  rushing  footsteps  of  her 
deliverers.  They  spread  themselves  throughout  all  the  lob- 
bies of  the  prison. 

But  the  squad  led  by  little  Mim  came  hurrying  towards 


478  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

her  door,  and  paused  in  much  excitement  before  it.  This 
door  was  locked  and  barred  on  the  outside,  and  it  required 
some  little  time  and  force  before  it  could  be  broken  open. 

Then  Major  Mim,  with  his  face  fiery  from  exertion  and 
excitement,  rushed  in. 

"  You  are  free,  Madam  !  "  he  exclaimed,  lifting  his  cap  to 
Britomarte,  but  failing  to  recognize  her. 

"  Don't  you  know  me  " — she  hesitated  a  moment  to 
glance  at  his  straps  and  ascertain  his  precise  rank — "  Major 
Mim  ?  Don't  you  know  me  ?  " 

"  Heaven  and  earth  !  It  is  Miss  Conyers  ! "  exclaimed 
little  Mim,  in  consternation. 

"  Or  what  remains  of  her,"  added  Britomarte,  with  a  wan 
smile. 

"  In  the  name  of  Providence,  how  came  you  here  ?  "  de- 
manded Mini. 

"  I  was  tat  en  as  a  suspected  spy.  The  story  is  too  long 
to  tell  you  now,  Major.  But  tell  me  news  of  our  army.  I 
am  dying,  yes,  dying  to  hear." 

"  We  have  got  Richmond,"  said  Mim. 

"  I  see  that.     But  Colonel  Eosenthal  ?  " 

"  He  is  with  General  Grant." 

"  And  General  Grant  ?  " 

"  Is  gone  after  Lee." 

"And  Lee?" 

"  In  full  retreat  down  the  valley,  half  his  army  destroyed, 
the  other  half  doomed." 

"  So  Richmond  is  ours.  Thank  Heaven  !  But  oh,  why 
did  you  set  the  city  on  fire  ?  Was  that  necessary  ?  " 

"  We  set  the  city  on  fire  !  No,  thank  Heaven,  Miss  Con- 
yers, the  crime  of  burning  this  beautiful  city  does  not  rest 
on  our  souls.  It  seems  to  have  been  set  on  fire  either  by  the 
evacuating  party  or  by  the  excited  mob,  we  do  not  know 
which,  but  we  do  know  that  when  we  marched  in  we  found 
the  city  in  flames,  and  that  our  first  business  was  to  go  to 


DELIVERANCE      AT      LAST.  479 

work,  as  fast  as  we  could,  to  put  it  out.  And  although  the 
wretches  that  fired  the  city  also  cut  the  hose,  we  are  still,  by 
the  blessing  of  God,  bringing  the  flames  under." 

"  Thank  Heaven  for  that !  Tell  me  more  news  of  our 
friends.  Who  has  fallen  ?  Who  survive  ?  " 

"  Miss  Conyers,  it  seems  to  me,  speaking  broadly,  that  all 
who  are  not  killed  are  promoted.  Among  the  killed,  Miss 
Conyers,  is  that  gallant  young  fellow  they  used  to  call  the 
'Destroying  Angel,'  on  account  of  his  fiery  impetuosity." 

"  Who  ?  "  inquired  Britomarte. 

"  You  know — he  who  was  so  adored  in  the  whole  brigade. 
What  was  his  name  again  ?  I  am  the.  worst  hand  at 
names.  I  seem  to  get  the  idea  without  the  word.  What 
was  it  again?  Bird? — no.  Dash? — no.  Spring? — no. 
But  it  was  something  with  a  rush  in  it.  WLNG  !  That 
was  it.  Ah,  poor  fellow  !  " 

"  What  of  him  ?  "  inquired  Britomarte,  suppressing  a 
laugh. 

"Missing — missing  for  nearly  a  year  past.  Dead,  of 
course ;  lost  among  heaps  of  dead  ill  the  trenches-,  or  the 
rivers,  or  the  woods,  or  in  the  ditches  of  the  Kebel  prisons. 
Colonel  Rosenthal  has  done  all  he  could  to  discover  traces 
of  his  fate,  but  in  Ifcin.  And  I  really  think  the  uncer- 
tainty wears  upon  the  colonel." 

"Perhaps  Wing  may  yet  be  found  in  some  of  the  rebel 
prisons  of  Richmond,"  suggested  Britomarte. 

"Heaven  grant  it.  Yet  it  is  not  likely.  Come,  Miss 
Conyers;  you  look  worn  and  wasted.  Let  me  take  you 
somewhere  where  you  can  be  comfortably  lodged  and 
refreshed.  Colonel  O'Neill  has  his  quarters  at  the  Golds- 
borough  House.  His  wife  is  with  him.  I  know  they  will 
gladly  welcome  you.  Will  you  let  me  take  you  there  for 
the  present  ?  " 

"  Thanks,  yes  !  Anywhere — anywhere — out  of  this  hor- 
rible place  ! "  said  Britomarte. 


480  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

Major  Mim  ordered  an  ambulance  brought  up,  placed 
Miss  Conyers  in  it.  and  conveyed  her  to  the  quarters  of 
Colonel  O'Neill,  where  she  was  warmly  welcomed  and  affec- 
tionately tended  by  that  gallant  officer's  amiable  wife. 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 

AFTER   A  WHILE. 

Kind  hearts  there  are,  yet  would  the  tenderest  one 

Have  limits  to  its  mercy ;  God  has  hone. 

And  man's  forgiveness  may  be  true  and  sweet, 

But  yet  he  stoops  to  give  it.    More  complete 

Is  love  that  lays  forgiveness  at  thy  feet. 

And  pleads  with  thee  to  raise  it.    Only  Heaven 

Means  OKOWNED,  not  HUMBLED,  when  it  says  "  Forgiven." 

—A.  A.  PROCTOR.  ' 

LET  us  reverently  pass  over  that  awful  calamity  of  April 
the  fourteenth,  which  followed  so  swiftly  upon  the  winged 
feet  of  Victory,  quenching  all  her  lights  of  joy  and  of 
triumph  in  darkness  and  in  blood.  The  Nation's  holy  sor- 
row is  too  sacred  a  subject  to  be  treated  here. 

I  take  up  my  story  at  a  point  of  time  some  weeks  later, 
when  the  unnatural  and  over-strainec^3xcitement  of  alter- 
nated joy  and  grief,  triumph  and  despair,  had  in  some 
measure  subsided,  and  the  amazed  and  distracted  people 
had  in  some  degree  recovered  self-possession  and  calmness ; 
when  the  victorious  legions  of  the  army  had  passed  in 
grand  review  before  the  President  and  all  the  high  official 
dignitaries  of  the  Union,  before  all  the  resident  representa- 
tives of  foreign  courts,  and  above  all,  before  the  multitude 
of  grateful  and  admiring  fellow  countrymen,  who  had 
gathered  in  millions  to  do  honor  to  their  patriotism,  courage 
and  devotion,  and  who,  as  they  looked  upon  those  glorious 
veterans,  thought  that  if  every  man  of  the  rank  and  file 
was  not  a  commissioned  officer,  nearly  every  one  of  them 
certainly  deserved  to  be  so. 


AFTER      A      WHILE.  481 

Promotions  were  made  for  "  gallant  and  meritorious  con- 
duct in  the  service  " — that  is,  so  far  as  there  should  be  room 
for  them.  But  if  every  private  soldier  of  the  Union  could 
have  been  advanced  according  to  his  deserts,  we  should 
have  had  an  army  composed  Almost  entirely  of  major 
generals.  There  were  thousands  upon  thousands  of  men 
in  the  ranks,  as  brave,  as  true,  as  skillful,  and  as  devoted,  as 
many  who  commanded  divisions  and  corps ;  and  if  these 
could  not  all  be  promoted  it  was  only  because,  as  I  once 
heard  a  schoolboy  captain  demonstrate  to  his  discontented 
company,  "All  cannot  be  corporals."  But  if  we  cannot 
decorate  every  brave  soldier  with  a  pair  of  shoulder-straps, 
we  can  at  least  give  every  one  of  them  our  heartfelt  honor 
and  esteem.  As  for  us,  we  never  see  the  dear  old  faded 
blue  uniform  anywhere,  but  our  hearts  warm  to  the  wearer, 
as  we  think  of  the  marchings  and  fightings,  by  day  and 
night,  the  fastings  and  vigils,  the  wounds  and  illnesses,  the 
exposure  to  freezing  cold  and  burning  heat,  and  all  the  in- 
conceivable sufferings  incident  to  war  which  the  soldier 
must  have  borne  for  our  sakes. 

But  this  is  a  digression,  and  we  must  get  back  to  our 
story. 

It  was  a. few  days  from  those  of  the  grand  review.  The 
armies  had  been  disbanded  and  sent  home.  The  multitudes 
of  visitors  had  left  the  city.  And  Washington,  which  had 
for  weeks  been  suffering  under  a  plethora  of  population, 
was  relieved. 

The  parsonage,  which  like  every  other  private  house  in 
Washington  and  Georgetown  had  been  filled  with  company, 
was  now  comparatively  empty. 

The  parlor  circle  consisted  only  of  Erminie,  Elfie,  Briga- 
dier General  Kosenthal,  Colonel  Fielding  and  Captain  Hay. 

Lieutenant  Colonel  Mim  and  Captain  Ethel  were  frequent 
visitors. 
30 


482  HOW      HE      WON      HER. 

By  this  you  will  perceive,  that  all  our  friends  of  the  army 
who  had  not  been  killed  were  promoted. 

They  were  not  yet  mustered  out  of  the  service,  and  they 
were  all  on  duty  in  Washington. 

Poor  young  Wing  was,  supposed  to  have  died  in  one  of 
the  confederate  prisons  ;  but  it  was  noticeable  that  from  the 
time  General  Rosenthal  learned  the  liberation  of  Miss  Con- 
yers  from  Castle  Thunder,  he  ceased  to  mourn  the  untimely 
fate  of  Wing. 

Britomarte  was  not  in  Washington,  and  no  one  knew 
exactly  where  she  was  at  this  time. 

Immediately  after  her  release  from  Castle  Thunder  she 
had  written  three  letters — one  to  Justin,  announcing  her 
safety,  one  to  Erminie  to  the  same  effect,  and  one  to  the 
Signora  Adriana  di  Bercelloni.  And  within  a  week  after 
the  posting  of  these  letters,  she  had  left  Richmond  for  the 
North.  Lately  she  had  written  from  New  York,  announc- 
ing her  speedy  return  to  Washington.  This  letter,  which 
was  addressed  to  Justin,  was  immediately  answered  by  a 
joint  one  from  the  brother  and  sister,  entreating  Britomarte 
to  make  the  parsonage  her  home,  and  to  let  them  know 
exactly  by  what  train  she  would  arrive,  that  they  might 
meet  her  at  the  station.  They  were  now  waiting  her 
reply. 

It  was  yet  early  in  the  day,  and  the  gentlemen  had  all 
walked  out,  and  Elfie  was  busy  at  her  favorite  pastime  of 
decorating  the  drawing-room  with  flowers,  and  Erminie, 
having  issued  all  her  domestic  orders  for  the  day,  was  rest- 
ing in  an  easy  chair  in  her  own  chamber,  when  the  sound 
of  wheels  was  heard  turning  into  the  gates  and  rolling  up 
the  avenue  towards  the  front  of  the  house.  It  was  not  an 
unusual  sound,  for  there  had  been  a  great  number  of  callers 
within  the  last  few  weeks,  so  that  in  fact  the  inmates  of  the 
cottage  were  getting  tired  of  them. 

Elfie,  pausing  in  the  act  of  arranging  a  bouquet,  uttered 


AFTER     A     WHILE.  483 

an  exclamation  of  disgust  and  wondered  why  people  could 
not  content  themselves  at  home. 

Erminie,  seated  in  her  resting-chair  in  the  privacy  of  her 
own  room,  hoped  that  the  visitor  might  be  no  one  whom  she 
should  be  obliged  to  see.  And  she  waited  for  the  appear- 
ance of  the  servant  to  announce  the  name  of  the  new 
comer. 

But  fifteen  or  twenty  minntes  passed  and  no  servant 
appeared,  though  the  carriage  still  remained  standing  before 
the  door. 

"  It  is  some  one  for  Elfie,"  said  Erminie  to  herself,  as  she 
sank  in  her  chair  to  take  her  ease. 

But  at  that  moment  she  heard  footsteps  approaching  the 
chamber,  and  the  next  instant  the  door  was  thrown  open 
by  Elfie,  who,  pale  and  faint,  tottered  into  the  chamber  and 
sank  into  the  nearest  seat. 

"  Elfie  !  Elfie,  my  dear !  in  the  name  of  mercy,  what  has 
happened  ?  "  exclaimed  Ermiuie,  starting  up  in  alarm,  for 
the  least  terrible  of  her  conjectures  was  that  some  serious 
accident  had  occurred  to  her  own  brother  or  to  Elfie's 
father. 

"  Noth — nothing  has  happened  !  Nothing  bad,  I  mean  ! 
All  good !  Oh,  Erminie  !  how  shall  I  tell  you  ! "  gasped 
Elfie,  bursting  into  a  passion  of  hysterical  tears  and  sobs. 

The  excess  of  joy  weeps ;  the  excess  of  anguish  laughs. 

"  What  ?  what  is  this  ?  Who  came  in  the  carriage  ?  " 
breathlessly  gasped  Erminie,  turning  pale  and  cold,  yet  not 
with  fear ! 

"  Oh,  Erminie,  guess  !  try  to  guess  !  I  am  afraid  to  tell 
you  !  Who  would  you  rather  see  of  all  the  world  ?  "  said 
Elfie,  trembling. 

Torrents  of  fire  and  of  ice  alternately  seemed  to  sweep 
through  the  system  of  the  delicate  girl,  as  the  blood  rushed 
to  her  head  and  receded  to  her  heart. 


484  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

"  My  father  !  It  ia  my  dear  father  ! "  she  cried,  as  she 
started  up  and  dashed  from  the  room. 

"  Yes  !  it  is  he  !  "  said  Elfie. 

The  drawingroom  door  stood  wide  open. 

Erniinie  flew  in  and  was  folded  in  the  arms  of  her  father. 

He  sank  down  on  the  sofa  and  drew  her  on  his  lap ;  and 
she  dropped  her  head  upon  his  bosom  and  wept  for  joy. 

And  he  clasped  her  in  a  closer  embrace,  and  for  the  first 
few  minutes  not  one  word  was  spoken  between  them. 

Then  the  first  syllables  her  lips  could  frame  were  of 
gratitude  to  Heaven. 

"  Thank  the  Lord !     Oh,  thank  the  Lord  ! "  she  said. 

"Amen,"  solemnly  responded  the  Lutheran  minister. 

. "  My  father  !     Oh,  my  beloved  father !  " 

<(  My  dear,  dear  child ! " 

u  Let  me  look  at  you  !  Is  it  you  indeed  ?  Is  it  indeed 
you  ?  "  she  said,  raising  heir  face  from  his  bosom  and  push- 
ing his  head  gently  a  little  way  from  her  that  she  might 
examine  him  at  will. 

"  You  see  it  is  I,"  he  said,  smiling. 

"  But  how  thin  you  are  !  oh,  how  thin  !  how  wasted  your 
dear  face  is  !  Father,  you  have  suffered  !  "  she  said,  kissing 
him  tenderly  and  repeatedly. 

"  But  my  sufferings  are  over  now,  dear  child,"  he  said. 

"  You  have  been  all  this  while  in  a  Confederate  prison  I 
And  it  will  take  time  to  restore  you." 

"  Yes,  my  child,  it  will  take  as  many  weeks  and  as  many 
new-laid  eggs  to  build  me  up  as  it  took  to  restore  the  re- 
nowned knight  of  La  Mancha  after  one  of  his  campaigns," 
said  the  old  man,  gaily. 

"  You  suffered  so  much  in  that  prison  !  But  don't  try  to 
tell  me  about  it  now,"  she  added,  hastily  ;  "  tell  me  what  I 
shall  do  for  you  first.  Have  you  had  a  good  breakfast  this 
morning?  Shall  I  ring  for  Bob  to  bring  you  a  pair  of 
slippers  and  get  a  warm  bath  ready  for  you  ?  Which  first, 


AFTER      A      WHILE.  485 

dear  father  ?  Oh,  I  am  not  in  my  right  senses  !  I  am  mad 
with  joy,  or  I  should  know  what  to  do  at  once  without  ask- 
ing you.  Let  me  take  off  your  boots  like  I  used  to  do  ! " 

And  she  would  have  gone  down  on  her  knees  to  perform 
this  service  if  he  had  not  prevented  her. 

"  Stay,  my  daughter.  Sit  where  you  are  for  the  present. 
On  my  lap.  I  like  you  here.  I  want  to  look  into  your  face. 
And  I  want  nothing  more  just  yet. — Changed,  my  Minie ! 
somewhat  changed  you  are  in  these  four  years.  Not  so 
bright  and  blooming  as  you  were ;  paler,  thinner  ;  but  more 
lovely,  my  darling — much  more  lovely.  Ah,  I  know  how 
you  have  passed  these  years,  my  Minie.  Even  in  my  dis- 
tant prison  I  heard  of  that  young  Lutheran  Sister  of  Christ 
whose  tender  mercies  were  over  all  sufferers  that  came  under 
her  care — whether  Rebel  or  Loyal.  I  will  tell  you  about 
that  presently.  But  now  tell  me :  how  knew  you  so  readily 
that  I  had  been  in  prison  all  this  while  ?  Who  told  you  ?  " 

"No  one,  my  dear  father.  When  I  heard  from  Elfie  that 
you  had  returned,  I  easily  divined  it.  Where  else  should 
you  have  been  living  all  this  while,  not  to  have  come  home 
to  us?  But  besides  that,  dear  father,  several  months  ago, 
nearly  a  year  ago  indeed,  when  my  brain  and  nervous  system 
were  in  an  abnormal  and  exalted  condition  from  the  effects 
of  illness  and  drugs,  I  had  a  dream  or  vision  in  which  I  saw 
you  in  prison." 

"  Dream  ?  vision  ?  My  child,  you  surely  do  not  attach  any 
importance  to  such  very  natural  phenomena?" 

"  I  don't  know,  I  will  tell  you  all  about  my  strange  ex- 
perience some  day — not  now.  I  will  only  say  this  now  :  that 
my  dream  left  upon  my  mind  so  strong  an  impression  of 
your  continued  existence  in  this  world,  that  I  was  more  over- 
joyed than  surprised  when  Elfie  came  to  announce  your  re- 
turn. And  now  that  I  see  you  before  me,  and  hear  you  ad- 
mit that  you  were  a  captive  contiued  in  a  Confederate 


488  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

prison,  just  as  I  dreamed  you  were,  I  cannot  help  attaching 
some  significance  to  my  dream." 

"  A  mere  coincidence,  my  little  daughter.  Millions  of 
dreams  amount  to  nothing.  But  if  one  in  a  billion  seems 
prophetic  from  an  accidental  coincidence,  it  is  immediately 
set  down  among  supernatural  phenomena.  Nonsense,  my 
Minie  !  The  wonder  is,  not  that  one  dream  in  a  billion 
happens  to  coincide  with  something  in  real  life,  but  that 
nearly  all  of  them  do  not.  So  you  have  been  a  little  Sister 
of  Charity  in  these  years,  my  Minie  ?  " 

"  Yes,  my  father  ;  but  there  was  really  no  merit  in  that. 
My  heart  would  have  broken  else.  I  had  to  comfort  others 
in  order  to  sustain  myself." 

"  Did  you  then  suffer  so  much,  my  Minie  ?  "  tenderly  in- 
quired her  father. 

"Not  more,  nor  so  much  as  many  thousand  women  have 
suffered  during  this  war.  But  I  believe  that  I  was  weaker* 
than  others,  and  more  ready  to  succumb  to  sorrow,  if  I  had 
not  kept  myself  up  in  the  way  I  did.  First  there  came — 
But  I  will  not  talk  to  you  of  these  things  now.  Father, 
dear  father,  you  know — How  much  do  you  know  about  Jus- 
tin?" she  asked,  after  some  embarrassment  and  hesitation. 

"  I  know  all  about  him,  my  dear  child.  I  parted  with 
him  not  an  hour  ago,  at  his  head-quarters.  I  had  to  go 
there  first,  for  there  was  one  with  ine  who  had  important 
business  with  him.  On  reaching  the  city,  I  and  he  who  was 
with  me  inquired  for  Colonel  Rosenthal's  address,  and  were 
told  that  General  Kosenthal  was  at  his  head-quarters.  So 
we  went  there,  and  spent  two  hours  with  him." 

"  My  brother  must  have  been — tremendously  astonished 
and  overjoyed.'' 

"  He  was,  my  darling.  Justin  is  a  stout  man,  and  in  the 
last  four  years  he  has  grown  stouter.  But  when  he  saw  me 
he  was  nearer  swooning  than  I  ever  saw  a  man  in  my  life. 
He  first  arose  to  receive  me,  believing  me  to  be  a  stranger, 


AFTER      A      WHILE.  487 

but  when  he  recognized  me  he  turned  white  as  death,  reeled, 
caught  the  edge  of  his  table  for  support,  and  fell  back  into 
his  seat.  It  was  a  full  minute  before  he  could  recover  him- 
self and  welcome  me.  You  sustained  the  shock  with  more 
firmness,  my  Minie." 

"  Because,  dear  father,  it  really  was  no  such  great  shock 
to  me.  I  say,  as  I  said  before,  that  my  dream  had  prepared 
me  for  your  return,  and  I  was  more  overjoyed  than  surprised 
at  it." 

"  Still  '  harping '  on  your  dream,  my  darling.  Never  mind 
that.  You  have  suffered  a  great  deal  in  these  four  dreadful 
years,  my  poor  child." 

"  But  I  suffer  no  longer,  dear  father.  I  have  you  and  I 
have  Justin,  and  even  my  school  friend,  Britomarte,  all  safe. 
And  I  have  not  a  sorrow  in  the  world  now,"  she  said  gaily. 

"  Not  one,  my  Minie  ?  "  he  inquired,  very  significantly. 

The  fair,  bright  face  was  suddenly  overclouded  and  dark- 
ened. The  one  unforgotten  name  arose  to  her  lips.  She 
covered  her  face  with  her  hands,  and  burst  into  tears. 

"  I  thought  so.  I  thought  so,  my  child.  But  I  did  not 
mean  to  torture  you  in  vain.  Hope,  hope  all  things,  my 
Minie,"  her  father  said,  as  he  drew  her  closer  to  his  heart, 
and  soothed  her  gently. 

Presently  she  raised  her  head,  and  wiped  the  tears  from 
her  eyes  saying : 

"  How  weak  and  foolish  I  am.  How  wrong  and  thank- 
less to  weep  when  I  should  only  rejoice.  And  I  do  rejoice. 

"  Oh,  my  beloved  father,  I  rejoice  from  the  bottom  of  my 
heart,  and  thank  the  Lord  from  the  depths  of  my  soul 
that  you  have,  returned  to  bless  us  with  your  precious 
presence.  I  do,  dear  father,  I  do  !  " 

"  I  know  you  do,  my  darling,  only  you  would  be  still 
more  joyful  and  thankful  if  there  could  be  one  otJier  by  my 
side  as  loyal  as  I  am." 

"  Oh;  my  dear  father,"  said  Erminie,  shrinking  painfully, 


488  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

as  one  who  had  a  wound  suddenly  probed — "  my  dear  father 
do  not  speak  of  that.  Never  mind  nie.  Let  us  talk  of 
yourself.  Since  you  will  not  let  me  do  anything  for  you 
but  sit  upon  your  knee,  tell  me,  if  it  will  not  tire  you  to  do 
so,  how  it  came  about  that  you  were  reported  dead,  and  that 
a  body  was  found  and  buried  as  your  body,  when  in  fact 
you  were  only  taken  prisoner  ?  And  above  all,  how  did  it 
happen  that  you  were  kept  in  prison  so  long  without  being 
exchanged,  or  being  allowed  to  communicate  with  youi 
family  ?  " 

"  It  is  a  long  story,  my  child,  but  I  will  try  to  tell  it 
briefly.  When  my  regiment  was  at  Manassas,  it  was  desira- 
ble to  ascertain  the  position  of  the  enemy,  and  the  character 
of  his  defences.  My  colonel  knew  that  the  general  officers 
were  very  solicitous  upon  this  point.  He  thought  secretly 
to  procure  the  information,  and  to  surprise  them  with  it. 
He  proposed  to  me  to  exchange  my  uniform  for  the  clergy- 
man's dress  that  I  had  a  right  to  wear,  and  in  that  cos- 
tume, and  with  a  bundle  of  tracts  in  my  carpet  bag,  to 
penetrate  the  enemy's  lines  as  an  itinerant  preacher,  dis- 
tribute my  tracts,  pick  up  all  the  information  I  could  get, 
and  then  return  to  my  regiment  and  give  it  to  him." 

"  Oh,  my  dear  father,  what  a  dangerous  service  to  put 
you  on,  and  at  your  age,  too ! " 

"  My  dear,  we  thought  my  age  and  clerical  character 
would  be  the  very  circumstances  to  save  me  from  suspicion 
and  arrest." 

"  And  so  you  went  ?  " 

"  And  so  I  went — myself  and  my  colonel  being  only  in 
the  secret  !  In  my  character  of  an  old  itinerant  preacher, 
I  succeeded  in  getting  within  the  enemy's  lines,  where  I 
distributed  my  tracts  among  the  soldiers,  and  preached  pro- 
slavery  from  the  text,  '  Servants  obey  your  masters?  and 
secession  from  another  text,  '  Come  out  from  among  them.' 
I  gained  '  golden  opinions,'  and  what  is  more,  such  impor- 


AFTER     A      WHILE.  489 

taut  information  in  regard  to  the  strength,  position  and 
plans  of  the  enemy  that,  could  I  have  succeeded  in  carrying 
it  back  to  my  colonel,  it  must  have  totally  changed  the  issue 
of  that  disastrous  battle  of  Bull  Eun." 

"  But  you  were  taken  !  "  sighed  Erminie. 

"  I  was  taken !  I  started  on  my  return,  but  some  cir- 
cumstance, of  I  know  not  what  nature,  excited  suspicion. 
I  was  followed,  arrested,  and  brought  back." 

"  Oh,  my  father  !  oh,  my  dear,  dear  father  !  "  exclaimed 
Erminie,  clasping  her  hand. 

"  My  child,  you  see  me  sitting  here  in  safety ;  you  feel 
my  arms  around  you  ;  therefore  you  can  bear  to  hear  some 
hard  facts.  I  will  tell  them  as  shortly  and  plainly  as  pos- 
sible. The  result  of  my  arrest  was  that  I  was  tried  as  a 
spy  and  condemned  to  die." 

11  Father  !  father  ! "  exclaimed  Erminie,  clasping  him 
closer,  as  though  he  were  still  in  danger. 

"  Here  I  am,  safe  and  well,  little  daughter  !  I  owe  my 
life  to  General  Eastworth  !  His  services  to  the  cause  of  the 
Confederacy  were  considered  very  great ;  his  influence  was 
almost  unbounded.  He  recognized  me  as  soon  as  he  saw 
me,  and  without  divulging  my  real  name,  which  was  not 
yet  discovered,  he  intervened  at  the  proper  point  of  time, 
and  got  my  death-sentence  commuted  to  that  of  imprison- 
ment during  the  war.  I  was  sent  to  a  Confederate  prison 
in  Charleston." 

"  And  it  was  there  I  saw  you  in  my  dream,"  murmured 
Erminie,  but  in  a  voice  too  low  to  attract  the  attention  of 
her  father,  who  continued : 

"  I  verily  believe  that  Eastworth  procured  me  to  be  sent 
to  Charleston  so  that  he  could  watch  over  me,  and  mitigate 
the  rigor  of  my  captivity,  for  he  himself  had  just  been 
ordered  on  duty  thither.  And  he  has  served  me  like  a  son 
for  more  than  three  years." 


490  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  owe  this  deep  debt  of  gratitude  to 
General  Eastworth,"  said  Erminie  in  a  low  voice. 

"  You  will  be  gladder  still  to  learn  that  Eastworth,  like 
the  Prodigal  Son  in  the  Scriptures,  has  come  to  himself!" 

"  Father  !  father  !  is  this  so  ?  Is  this  really  so  ?  " 
gasped  Erminie  in  a  low,  breathless  tone,  as  of  suspended 
rapture. 

"  It  is  so,  my  girl,  or  I  never  would  have  brought  up  his 
name  !  There  is  not  a  man  in  the  country  who  mourns 
with  a  deeper  sorrow  over  the  fatal  madness  of  the  secession 
than  does  General  Eastworth.  And  not  that  the  cause  is 
lost !  for  I  feel  sure  that  he  would  not  only  have  mourned, 
but  despaired,  could  it  have  succeeded." 

"  Oh,  father  !  father !  I  never  expected  to  be  so  happy  in 
this  world,  or  scarcely  even  in  Heaven,  as  you  have  made 
me  with  this  news  ! "  exclaimed  Erminie,  as  a  ray  of  almost 
divine  joy  shone  through  the  tears  that  filled  her  eyes. 

"  I  rejoice  in  your  happiness,  my  darling  child  ! " 

"  But  how  came  this  great  change  about,  my  father  ?  " 

"  Who  can  tell  that  ?  Perhaps  your  tears  that  ever  fell, 
your  prayers  that  ever  rose  for  him,  were  effective !  Per- 
haps your  devotion  to  the  sufferers  by  this  war  brought  a 
blessing  on  your  head,  and  grace  to  him,  so  that  he  was 
cured  of  his  hallucination ;  for  it  was  hallucination  with 
him.  The  wisest  and  best  of  mortal  men,  Ermiuie,  are 
subject  to  be  hallucinated  by  some  master  passion.  With 
one  man  it  may  be  love ;  with  another  jealousy,  hatred  or 
revenge  ;  with  still  another,  avarice  ;  and  with  the  nobler 
sort  of  man  it  is,  too  often,  ambition  !  With  Eastworth  it 
was  ambition  that  warped  his  reason  and  silenced  his  con- 
science. And  this  was  not  a  narrow,  personal  desire  for  his 
own  individual  aggrandizement,  but  a  comparatively  broad, 
unselfish  aspiration,  for  the  establishment  of  his  own  section 
of  the  country  into  a  nation,  as  opposed  to  the  whole 
country.  In  this  he  forgot,  for  a  time,  the  interests  of 


AFTER      A     WHILE.  491 

humanity,  the  interests  of  posterity,  all  bound  up  in  the 
preservation,  intact,  of  this  Union." 

"  But  he  rememhers  this  now  ?  " 

"  He  remembers  this  now !  Let  me  be  just  to  East- 
worth  !  It  is  not,  I  say,  the  failure  of  the  cause  that  has 
brought  about  this  change  in  him.  I  have  seen  a  great 
deal  of  him  in  the  last  two  years.  This  change  has  beea 
gradually  coming  over  him  in  all  that  time." 

"But,  father,  dear  father,  he  has  laid  himself  liable  to 
heavy  penalties  of  I  know  not  what  weight." 

"  He  has,  my  dear ;  but  he  is  prepared  to  meet  them  like 
a  man." 

"  His  property,  his  liberty,  even  his  life  is  forfeit  to  the 
country,  is  it  not  ?  "  inquired  Erminie,  growing  pale,  as  for 
the  first  time  she  remembered  his  danger. 

"  My  child,  perhaps  so,  according  to  the  strict  letter  of 
the  law !  But  I  do  not  think  the  people  of  this  country 
will  have  it  so  !  There  is  no  reason  on  earth  why  we,  the 
free  and  enlightened  people  of  America  should  follow  the 
precedent  afforded  us  by  the  mingled  fear  and  cruelty  of 
the  old  world  monarchies.  We  are  too  brave  and  strong  to 
be  vindictive  and  despotic." 

"But  what  will  Eastworth  do,  father?" 

"In  the  first  place  he  will  not  expatriate  himself.  Be 
sure  of  that.  He  will  trust  himself  to  his  country  as  a 
son  to  his  mother." 

"  And  you  think  I  have  no  reason  to  fear  for  him  ?  " 

"None;  the  names  of  some  of  the  noblest  among  the 
Union  officers  are  pledges  for  his  future  good  faith." 

Erminie  heaved  a  sigh  of  infinite  relief,  and  then  said: 

"But  we  have  talked  so  much  of  him  and  so  little  of 
yourself,  dear.  How  was  it,  precious  father,  that  you  never 
let  me  know  that  you  were  living  ?  " 

"  My  darling,  the  conditions  of  the  commutation  of  my 
Sentence  from  death  to  imprisonment  were  that  I  should 


492  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

hold  no  communication  whatever  with  my  friends  across  the 
lines.  Even  Eastworth,  who  did  all  that  was  in  his  power 
to  mitigate  the  severity  of  my  fate,  could  not  aid  me  in 
evading  these  conditions,  without  a  breach  of  trust.  That 
was  why  I  could  not  write  to  you." 

"But  I  should  have  supposed  some  one  of  our  men  in 
the  hands  of  the  Confederate  authorities  as  prisoners  of 
war,  might  have  heard  of  your  captivity  and  reported  it." 

"  That  was  not  likely.  I  was  in  a  solitary  cell,  and  con- 
fined under  the  name  in  which  I  had  been  arrested.  No 
one  but  Eastworth  knew  my  real  name.  And  at  my  desire 
he  kept  it  a  secret.  You  heard  me  say  just  now,  my  dear, 
that  the  fame  of  the  little  Lutheran  Sister  of  Christ,  who 
ministered  to  the  sick  and  wounded,  whether  Loyal  or 
Rebel,  had  reached  me  even  in  my  distant  Southern 
prison  ?  " 

"  Yes,  dear  father." 

"  I  will  tell  you  how  that  was.  I  once  had  a  guard  that 
was  so  very  kind  to  me,  so  extremely  kind  to  me,  that  I  one 
day  asked  .him  plainly  why  he  was  so.  He  answered  that 
he  had  been  a  wounded  prisoner  in  the  Douglass  Hospital 
at  Washington,  and  that  a  young  Union  lady  had  saved  his 
life  by  her  constant  attentions  to  him,  and  by  bringing  him 
nice  broths,  jellies,  fruits,  wine,  tea  and  coffee,  such  as,  at 
that  time,  could  not  be  furnished  to  the  soldiers." 

"  Yes,"  said  Erminie,  "  that  must  have  been  before  the 
Sanitary  and  Christian  Commissions  got  into  operation." 

"  Do  you  remember  this  case,  Erminie  ?  " 

"  Dear  father,  there  were  so  many  such  cases  !  I  don't 
remember  this  particular  one." 

"  He  remembers  you.  As  long  as  he  lives  he  will  re- 
member you !  He  talked  to  me  about  you.  He  described 
your  looks  and  manners  and  tone  of  voice.  He  told  me 
your  name,  and  said  that  you  had  lost  your  father  hi  tlio 
first  buttle  of  Bull  Him.  He  said  that  he  should  ahuiya 


AFTEIl     A     WHILE.  493 

be  kind  to  the  Union  prisoners  for  your  sake.  I  longed  to 
tell  him  that  I  was  your  father ;  but  I  could  not  do  so  with- 
out disclosing  my  name,  which  I  wished  to  keep  a  secret — 
which  then  more  than  ever  I  determined  to  keep  a  secret." 

"  But  why,  dear  father  ?  " 

"  Why  ? — For  your  sake  more  than  for  any  other  reason, 
my  Minie !  " 

"  For  my  sake  !  " 

"  Ay,  ay  !  listen  !  You  had  mourned  me  as  dead.  Time 
and  religion  had  reconciled  you  to  your  loss,  and  softened 
your  sorrow.  But  suppose  you  had  heard  that  I  was  liv- 
ing, and  suffering  a  painful  captivity  in  a  Southern  prison  ? 
Would  not  all  your  wounds  have  been  torn  open  afresh,  and 
kept  open  ?  Would  not  your  heart  have  bled  both  day  and 
night  ?  Could  you  have  done  your  daily  duty  in  the  hos- 
pitals with  the  image  of  your  old  father  a  captive  in  a  Con- 
federate prison,  ever  present  to  your  mind  ?  " 

"  Oh  no,  no,  no  !  " 

"  Therefore  you  see  I  was  right  in  keeping  the  secret, 
and  I  kept  it  religiously  until  the  capture  of  Charleston." 

"  That  was  several  weeks  ago  ?  "  said  Erminie,  interrog- 
atively. 

"  By  which  you  mean  to  ask  why  I  did  not  hasten  home 
immediately  on  being  released  from  prison.  The  reason 
was  this  my  Minie.  Almost  simultaneously  with  the  cap- 
ture of  Charleston,  I  was  seized  with  typhus  fever.  I  was 
ill  some  weeks.  A  man  of  my  age  seldom  recovers  from 
typhus  fever  ;  and  even  when  he  does,  he  takes  a  long  time 
to  rally.  As  soon  as  I  was  able  to  travel  I  set  out  for  home. 
General  Eastvvorth  came  with  me,  to  take  care  of  me." 

"  General  Eastworth  here — here  in  Washington  !  "  she 
exclaimed,  slightly  starting,  flushing  and  paling. 

"Yes,  my  Minie,  and  only  waiting  your  permission  to 
see  him." 


494  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

"  Oh,  how  shall  I  meet  him  ?  how  must  I  meet  him,  my 
father?" 

"  As  your  true  heart  dictates,  my  child." 

She  bowed  her  head  and  covered  her  face  with  her 
hands. 

"  Why  do  you  weep,  my  Minie  ?  "  her  father  asked,  ten- 
derly caressing  her. 

"  I  do  not  know.  My  heart  is  heavy  with  its  burden  of 
happiness  !  Oh,  my  father,  lay  your  hand  upon  my  head 
and  pray  for  me  ! — pray  for  me  and  bless  me !  I  am 
weak,  and  I  tremble  with  my  happiness !  I  am  afraid — to 
be  so  happy  !  " 

And  she  shivered. 

He  smiled  and  laid  his  hand  upon  her  head ;  he  prayed 
for  her  and  blessed  her,  then  he  stooped  and  kissed  her, 
arose  and  placed  her  gently  in  the  chair,  and  leaving  her 
alone,  stole  silently  from  the  room. 

When  Erminie  looked  up  her  father  was  gone,  and  her 
lover  stood  in  his  place. 

Pale,  silent,  sorrowful,  mutilated,  General  Eastworth 
stood  there,  looking  down  upon  Erminie. 

Her  hands  flew  out  to  meet  him. 

"  Oh,  welcome  !  welcome  !  welcome  !  "  she  exclaimed, 
•with  all  her  heart's  warmth  welling  up  in  the  words. 

"  You  welcome  me,  Miss  Eosenthal !  You  welcome 
me  ?  "  he  whispered,  in  tones  scarcely  above  his  breath. 

"  With  all  my  heart  and  soul !  A  thousand,  thousand 
welcomes  !  "  she  cried,  with  almost  overpowering  emotion. 

"  I  come  to  you,  Miss  Kosenthal,  to  hear  you  confirm,  if 
you  will,  the  gracious  words  you  spoke  to  me  on  your  bed 
of  illness  near  death,  that  night  I  came  to  your  room  at 
the  risk  of  my  life  ! " 

"  Then  that  was  no  dream  !  you  were  really  beside  me 
there  !  "  she  exclaimed,  wonderingly. 

"  I  was  really  beside  you  there.     Did  you  doubt  it  ?  " 


AFTER     A     WHILE.  495 

"  I  was  so  ill  that  night,  I  never  could  feel  certain  of 
what  happened.  And  no  one  was  able  to  assure  me  upon 
all  points.  But  sit  down !  oh,  sit !  How  pale  you  are ! 
You  are  not  fit  to  stand  !  "  she  said. 

"  No,  I  am  more  fit  to  kneel  to  you"  he  answered  mourn- 
fully. 

But  she  arose  from  the  great  arm-chair,  and  with  gentle 
force,  compelled  him  to  seat  himself  in  it.  Then  she  drew 
an  ottoman  forward  and  sat  down  at  his  knees,  as  she  had 
been  accustomed  to  do  in  the  early  days  of  their  betrothal. 

"  I  am  so  happy  to  have  you  here — oh,  so  unspeakably 
happy  to  have  you  here  !  I  never  hoped  to  be  so  happy  in 
this  world  again ! "  she  fervently  exclaimed,  as  she  placed 
her  hand  in  his. 

"  What  a  welcome  ! "  he  said,  as  the  tears  rose  to  his 
eyes — his  eyes  that  were  all  unused  to  such  moisture. 
"  What  a  welcome,  and  how  unworthy  I  am  to  Deceive  it ! 
Do  angels  always  welcome  returning  sinners  so,  Er- 
minie  ?  " 

"  Please  do  not  speak  of  yourself  so  to  me ;  to  any  one 
else  you  like,  but  not  to  me  !  I  am  your  betrothed,  and  I 
will  hear  no  ill  of  you,  even  from  your  own  lips." 

"  No,  no,  Erniinie !  no,  no,  you  angel  girl !  I  have  not 
come  to  bind  again  upon  your  young  life  bonds  that  were 
well  broken  years  ago !  I  have  forfeited  all  right  to  such 
great  happiness  !  All  that  is  changed!  " 

"  But  my  heart  is  not  changed,"  she  murmured  in  a  low 
tone,  and  blushing  deeply. 

"  My  sweet  child  !  when  we  were  first  betrothed  I  was 
twenty  years  older  than  you ;  although,  being  then  in  per- 
fect health,  I  did  not  seem  so.  And  my  wealth  was  great, 
my  social  position  high,  and  my  name  honored.  Since  that 
time  all  is  revolutionized  with  me." 

"  But  not  with  me ;  I  am  the  same,"  she  murmured. 

"  Look  at  me,  Erniinie !     See  what  time,  toil,  care,  war, 


496  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

grief,  pain,  remorse  "have  done  for  me.  I  am  old  and  gray 
and  broken  and  mutilated,"  lie  said. 

"  But  I  love  you,"  she  replied. 

"  To-day  I  am  a  poor  and  penniless  man.  To-morrow  I 
may  be  an  exile,  or  a  prisoner." 

"  But  I  love  you,"  she  repeated. 

"  And  see —  I  am  maimed  !  I  have  lost  my  right  arm ! 
And,  worse  than  all,  I  have  lost  it  in  a  bad  cause  ! " 

"  Poor  right  arm  !  I  would  I  could  give  mine  to  restore 
it,"  she  said. 

"  And  oh,  Erminie  !  my  once  spotless  name  is  stained 
with  reproach.  Could  you  bear  to  wear  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,  for  I  love  you  !  Oh,  my  dearest !  1  have  but  that 
one  little  phrase  to  answer  all  your  words — '  I  love  you  ! ' 
Oh,  my  betrothed,  I  love  you ! " 

He  caught  her  in  his  arm,  he  strained  her  to  his  bosom, 
he  burst  into  tears  and  wept  over  her  as  only  a  strong  man 
can  weep. 

"  And  oh  !  "  he  cried,  "  what  shall  I  render  unto  the 
Lord  for  all  His  loving  kindness  and  tender  mercy,  in  giv- 
ing me  this  dear  woman's  heart? 

For  only  Heaven 
Means  CKOWNED,  not  humbled,  when  it  says  '  forgiven ! ' " 

So  these  two  were  reconciled,  and  this  was  but  the  fore- 
runner of  a  deeper  and  broader  reconciliation  yet  to  come. 

General  Eastworth,  by  the  earnest  invitation  of  Dr. 
Eosenthal,  remained  as  a  guest  at  the  parsonage. 

At  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  Justin  came  in,  accom- 
panied by  Mini  and  Ethel.  And  a  very  pleasant  dinner 
party  closed  the  day. 

It  was  very  noticeable  that  Elfie,  who  had  now  nearly 
completed  her  first  year  of  mourning,  received  young 
Ethel's  attentions  with  less  of  reserve  than  formerly. 

Colonel  Fielding  certainly  smiled  on  the  young  naval 
officer's  suit. 


THE   WOMAN'S  DEAREST    RIGHT.      497 

u  Beyond  my  real  esteem  and  admiration  of  the  young 
fellow,  and  aside  from  my  interest  in  my  daughter's  hap- 
piness and  well-being,  I  have  really  a  selfish  motive  for 
wishing  to  promote  this  marriage,"  the  colonel  said  in  explan- 
ation to  Dr.  Bosenthal. 

"  And  what  may  that  he  ?  "  smiled  the  doctor. 

"  Why,  as  Elfie  is  my  only  child,  I  naturally  feel  a  very 
great  reluctance  to  parting  with  her.  And  as  Ethel  will  he 
at  sea  more  than  two-thirds  of  the  time,  Elfie  will  be  left 
with  me.  There  !  am  I  a  selfish  old  dog  ?  I  can  not  help 
it !  The  old  widowed  father  of  an  only  daughter  is  very  apt 
to  be  so,"  said  the  colonel. 

The  morning  succeeding  the  domiciliation  of  General 
Eastworth  at  the  parsonage,  Erminie  received -a  telegram 
from  Britomarte,  announcing  that  she  would  arrive  by  the 
seven  P.  M.  train  from  Baltimore. 

And  at  the  appointed  hour  Justin  and  Erminie  went  to 
the  station  to  meet  her. 

The  train  was  up  to  time,  and  Britomarte  was  soon  fondly 
received  by  the  brother  and  sister,  who  took  her  at  once  to 
their  hearts  and  home. 


CHAPTER  XLV. 

THE  WOMAN'S    DEAREST  RIGHT. 

And  thou  shall  know,  these  arms  onee  curled 

About  thee,  what  we  knew  before, 

How  LOVE  is  the  greatest  good  in  the  world. 

Henceforth  be  loved,  as  heart  can  love, 

Or  brain  devise,  or  hand  approve. — BHOWNINO. 

THE  morning  of  the  next  day  found  Justin  and  Brito- 
marte seated  together  on  a  sofa  in  the  drawing-room. 

"  Well,  my  dearest,"  began  Justin,  in  a  low  tone,  as  he 
took  her  hand  and  tried  to  catch  her  eye,  "  is  Britomarte 
31 


498  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

prepared  to  ratify  in  Justin's  favor  the  promise  made  by 
Wing  to  his  wounded  colonel  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  she  answered  frankly,  "  for  it  was  a  promise  given 
unconditionally  and  for  all  time." 

"  And  how  soon  shall  it  be  redeemed,  Britomarte  ?  " 

"  As  soon  as  you  please — after  you  have  heard  something 
that  I  have  to  tell  you.  Justin,  you  have  heard  a  '  secret ' 
in  my  family  history  darkly  hinted  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  and  I  have  heard  you  plainly  assert  that  such 
a  secret  existed.  And  I  have  told  you  that  let  it  be 
what  it  might,  it  could  not  affect  my  love  and  esteem 
for  you,  or  my  earnest  desire  to  make  you  my  wife." 

"  Thanks,  warmest  thanks  for  your  generous  trust  in 
me,  Justin.  The  secret  indeed  was  none  of  mine ;  nor 
has  it  turned  out  to  be  so  dark  an  one  as  I  had  dreaded. 
Fortunatel}"  it  cannot  affect  us  in  any  manner.  But  you 
shall  hear  it,  if  only  that  you  may  know  how  it  was  that 
I  grew  up  to  be  a  man-hater ! " 

"  I  always  supposed  that  there  must  have  been  some 
deep  wrong  and  suffering  at  the  bottom  of  all  your  man- 
hatred." 

"  A  long  succession  of  wrongs  and  sufferings  !  But  you 
shall  hear,"  she  said.  "  There  really  would  seem  to  have 
been  a  spell  laid  upon  the  women  of  our  race  ;  for  as  far  back 
as  we  can  follow  household  history,  every  woman  of  our 
blood,  from  mother  to  daughter,  has  married  miserably." 

"  I  hope  that  your  marriage  will  break  the  spell,  Brito- 
marte." 

"  I  knoiv  that  it  will,  dear  Justin.  But  this  curse  really 
followed  or  seemed  to  follow  us  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion." 

"  And  is  there  no  tradition  connected  with  it  ?  "  smiled 
Justin. 

"  None.     Why  ?  " 

"  Because  there  ought  to  be,  you  know.     I  am  afraid  your 


THE    WOMAN'S    DEAREST    RIGHT.     499 

family  are  not  inventive,  Miss  Conyers.  For  this  is  just 
such  a  case  as  requires  a  tradition  to  explain  it.  And  such 
a  tradition  could  be  so  easily  invented,  to  tell  us  what  ances- 
tress, by  what  crime,  entailed  the  curse  upon  all  her  female 
descendants.  For  instance,  the  tale  might  run — How  in  the 
dark  ages  a  certain  fair  nun  of  your  race  broke  her  vows  of 
celibacy  in  favor  of  a  certain  gay  knight,  and  in  becoming 
his  wife,  by  that  law  of  retribution  which  visits  the  sins  of 
the  parents  upon  the  children,  entailed  upon  all  her  daugh- 
ters to  the  end  of  time  the  punishment  of  misery  in  mar- 
riage. You  are  sure  there  is  no  such  legend  ?  " 

"  Quite,"  said  Britornarte,  smiling.  "  And  for  the  want 
of  such  a  legend  in  explanation  of  the  mystery,  I  was 
obliged  to  seek  the  solution  of  the  problem  iu  the  inherent 
wickedness  of  men.  When  you  hear  the  rest  of  my  story 
you  will  see  how  I  found  it  there." 

"  I  can  even  now  see  that,  Britomarte." 

"  You  will  excuse  me  from  speaking  of  my  grandfather 
and  my  father,  though  J  remember  both  perfectly  well." 

"  Certainly,  dearest,  I  understand.  Whatever  a  man's 
faults  may  be,  it  is  not  for  his  descendants  to  discover  them 
to  others." 

"No.  But  nothing  shall  prevent  my  speaking  of  my 
brother-in-law.  I  had  one  only  sister — the  daughter  of  my 
mother's  first  marriage,  for  my  mother  was  married  twice. 
This  sister  was  sixteen  years  old  and  I  was  four  when  our 
parents  died  and  we  were  left  to  the  care  of  a  grand-aunt." 

"  Miss  Pole  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  but  she  lived  in  Washington  city  then,  and  saw  a 
great  deal  of  company,  and  kept  open  house.  My  half 
sister  was  wealthy,  having  inherited  her  father's  fortune, 
which  was  secured  to  her ;  I  was  perfectly  penniless,  for  my 
father  had  unfortunately  run  through  every  cent  of  my 
mother's  little  property.  While  my  sister  lived  single  I 
never  knew  a  want.  But  she  married — married  miserably, 


500  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

like  all  her  foremothers  had  done.  Her  husband  was  the 
celebrated  tenor,  Adriano  di  Bercelloni.  She  heard  him  sing 
at  an  opera,  fell  in  love  with  him,  became  mad,  blind, 
desperate,  threw  herself  in  his  way,  went  everywhere  she 
could  see  him,  and  finally  attracted  his  attention.  Mona  was 
very  beautiful  as  well  as  very  wealthy,  and  very  much  in 
love  with  the  fascinating  tenor.  The  bait  was  tempting, 
the  opportunity  good,  and  so  the  spendthrift  opera  singer 
ran  away  with  the  rich  heiress." 

"  Poor,  infatuated  girl ! " 

"  Oh,  she  did  but  follow  her  fate,  as  all  her  predecessors 
had  done  before  her.  But  the  rage  of 'Aunt  Pole  was 
beyond  all  description.  Justin,  I  have  seen  something  of 
war,  but  I  have  never  seen  anything  so  terrible,  so  horrible 
as  that  old  lady's  roused  wrath  !  " 

"  I  can  well  believe  it.  I  have  seen  her  once,"  thought 
Justin  to  himself. 

"  She  stormed  and  raved  and  foamed.  She  forbade  me, 
on  pain  of  her  everlasting  vengeance,  ever  to  see,  speak  of, 
or  think  about  my  sister.  I  think  the  root  of  her  bitterness 
grew  in  this  fact — that  she  had  to  leave  her  handsome  city 
house,  which  really  belonged  to  Mona,  and  to  break  up  her 
showy  establishment,  which  she  could  no  longer  support  on 
Mona's  ample  fortune.  She  sent  me  to  school  at  Belle- 
mont,  and  she  returned  to  Witch  Elms,  breathing  maledic- 
tions upon  all  the  world." 

"  So  that  was  the  secret  of  her  misanthropy." 

«  Yes." 

"  Go  on,  dear  Britomarte." 

<l  I  went  to  school,  but  I  could  not  obey  my  aunt  in  re- 
gard to  my  sister.  I  loved  Mona ;  I  had  no  one  but  her  to 
love,  and  all  the  affections  of  my  heart  were  concentrated 
upon  her,  I  could  not  refrain  from  writing  to  her.  I  knew 
that  Bercelloni  was  singing  in  Paris.  I  wrote  to  my  sister, 
enclosing  my  letter  to  him.  In  that  manner  a  correspond- 


THE    WOMAN'S    DEAREST    RIGHT.   501 

ence  was  commenced  between  my  sister  and  myself,  which 
was  kept  up  until  her  death." 

"  She  is  dead,  then  ?  "  said  Justin,  gently. 

"  She  has  been  dead  five  years.  I  will  tell  you  all  about 
that  presently.  In  a  very  short  time  Bercelloni  contrived 
to  run  through  all  my  sister's  fortune,  wasting  it  upon  wine, 
dice,  and  other  abominations.  And  then  he  left  her." 

"  The  base  villain  ! " 

"He  did  but  carry  out  the  curse,  as  all  his  predecessors 
had  done  before  him.  For  more  than  a  year  I  had  not 
heard  from  my  poor  sister,  when  one  day,  while  still  at 
school,  I  got  a  letter  from  her,  post-marked  New  York — a 
letter  telling  me  that  Bercelloni  had  left  her,  that  at  the 
time  of  his  marriage  with  herself  he  had  another  wife 
living,  although  of  course  she  had  not  suspected  it — telling 
me  also  that  she  was  in  great  destitution,  that  her  three 
children  were  all  ill  with  diptheria,  and  that  she  had  no 
money  to  buy  them  food  or  physic,  and  asking  me,  for 
Heaven's  sake,  to  send  her  something,  to  keep  her  little 
ones  from  dying  of  want." 

"  Oh,  my  dear,  what  a  sad  trial  for  your  young  heart  to 
bear." 

"No,"  said  Britomarte,  "it  was  only  the  family  fate. 
But  oh,  where  was  I  to  get  money  ?  I  had  not  a  dollar  in 
my  purse  ;  I  had  no  jewelry  or  trinkets  such  as  girls  usually 
have ;  I  had  not  even  a  watch  ;  I  had  only  a  little  gold 
thimble,  the  birth-day  gift  of  my  sister  years  before.  It 
had  cost  six  dollars.  I  sold  it  for  two  to  a  schoolmate.  I 
also  sold  all  my  clothing,  piece  by  piece,  to  the  colored  peo- 
ple of  the  neighborhood,  so  that  I  had  but  a  single  change 
left.  I  had  to  do  all  this  secretly,  and  at  the  risk  of  dis- 
covery and  expulsion  from  the  school.  But  by  the  sacrifice 
of  effects  worth  perhaps  sixty  dollars  I  realized  about 
twenty,  which  I  sent  to  poor  Mona." 


502  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

u  Ah,  Britomarte  !  To  have  had  the  heaviest  burdens  of 
life  forced  upon  you  when  you  were  a  mere  school  girl ! " 

"  It  was  the  family  curse.  The  women,  like  the  mules, 
had  to  hear  all  the  hurdens,  and  like  the  scapegoats,  had  to 
carry  all  the  crimes  of  the  men." 

"  That  is  all  past  now,  Britomarte — forever  past.  You 
shall  hear  no  burden,  suffer  no  sorrow  that  I  can  intercept 
and  take  from  you." 

"I  know  it,  Justin.  I  know  it.  God  make  me  worthy 
of  you,  and  grateful  for  your  love." 

"  Hush,  hush,  my  dearest.  No  more  of  that.  Go  on, 
with  vour  domestic  history.  What  came  next  ?  " 

"  What  came  next  ?  Ah,  Justin,  the  money  I  sent  poor 
Mona  only  helped  to  bury  her  children.  They  all  died. 
Meanwhile,  she  found  a  friend  in  the  widow  of  the  elder 
Bercelloni.  This  poor  woman  had  been  the  second  wife  of 
the  father,  and  was  therefore  only  the  step-mother  of  the 
son.  She  was  entirely  dependent  on  her  own  exertions  for 
a  livelihood,  for  her  selfish  step-son  would  do  nothing  for 
her.  But  the  Signora  kept  poor  Mona  from  starving,  and 
after  a  while  procured  her  an  engagement  at  the  same  opera 
house  where  she  herself  was  employed  as  chorus  singer. 
But  I  weary  you  with  these  petty  family  details." 

"No,  no,  not  in  the  least.  All  that  in  the  slightest 
degree  concerns  you  interests  me.  Go  on,  pray." 

"I  heard  but  little  of  my  sister  for  the  next  twelve 
months.  Meanwhile — But  how  is  it  that  secrets  transpire, 
Justin — do  you  know  ?  And  above  all,  how  is  it  that 
family  secrets  always  come  out  in  an  exaggerated  form  and 
distorted  shape  ?  Can  any  one  tell  ?  " 

"  Not  I,  at  all  events,"  said  Justin,  smiling. 

"  My  sister's  story  transpired,  but  in  a  monstrous  form. 
There  was  sin  and  folly,  it  was  whispered,  but  the  folly  and 
the  sin  were  hers,  it  was  said.  Suspicion  fell  even  on  me, 
of  I  know  not  vrhat  fault.  Ah,  you  know  the  poisonous 


THE    WOMAN'S    DEAREST    RIGHT.     503 

ma  aria  of  slander  that  hung  like  a  pestilential  cloud  over 
me." 

"  I  know  !  I  know  !  But  it  has  cleared  away,  my  dear 
— cleared  away,  and  left  your  sky  all  bright  and  sunny." 

"  For  a  year  or  more,  being  my  last  year  at  school,  I  lived 
in  this  deadly  atmosphere.  Then  came  the  school  examin- 
ation. You  remember  all  that  happened  there  ?  " 

"  I  remember  one  thing  that  happened  there  distinctly. 
I  met  you.  And  for  the  first  time,  and  for  the  whole  of  my 
life,  I  loved.  But  proceed,  my  dearest." 

"  Do  you  remember  while  we  were  on  the  boat,  waiting 
for  her  to  get  up  her  steam,  that  a  negro  boy  came  running 
down  from  the  schoolhouse,  and  jumped  aboard  and  handed 
me  a  letter  ?  " 

"  That  letter  !  Yes,  and  I  remember  your  excessive  agi- 
tation, your  retirement  to  your  cabin,  your  isolation  all  that 
day  and  night,  and  the  awful  sorrow  on  your  brow  next 
morning.  I  remember  all,  Britomarte." 

"  That  letter  was  from  the  Signora  Adriana  di  Bercelloni. 
It  announced  to  me  the  news  ot  my  sister's  awful  death. 
She  was  found  one  morning  dead  in  her  bed,  with  her  throat 
cut  from  ear  to  ear,  and  lying  in  a  pool  of  her  own  blood  ! " 

"  Great  Heavens,  Britomarte  !  " 

Britomarte  covered  her  face  with  her  hands,  and  remained 
silent  for  a  few  moments.  Then  she  looked  up  and  said  : 

"  Do  you  wonder  now  at  my  strange  demeanor  on  that 
occasion  ?  You  remember  that  on  my  arrival  at  Washing- 
ton, instead  of  going  to  Witch  Elms,  I  hastened  immedi- 
ately to  the  station  to  catch  the  train  for  New  York  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  I  reached  the  city  the  next  day,  and  hurried  to  the 
humble  lodgings  of  the  Signora  and  got  her  to  accompany 
me  to  the  house  of  my  dead  sister,  where  the  coroner's 
inquBst  was  still  sitting.  There  we  found  the  Signoi 
Adriano  di  Bercelloni  under  arrest  and  under  strong  suspi- 


504  HOW      HE     WON      HER. 

cion.  There,  partly  from  the  information  given  me  by  the 
Signora,  and  partly  from  the  evidence  elicited  by  the  coro- 
ner's inquest,  I  learned  these  facts  :  That  my  sister  had  re- 
covered her  health  and  beauty  ;  and  had  made  considerable 
progress  in  her  art  and  in  the  favor  of  the  public,  so  that  at 
the  time  of  her  death  she  was  one  of  the  most  attractive 
singers  in  the  house.  Bercelloni  came  to  fulfil  an  engage- 
ment there  that  summer,  and  to  his  amazement  found  Mona 
a  member  of  the  company  and  restored  to  all  her  pristine 
bloom  and  beauty,  and  indeed  more  lovely  and  alluring  than 
he  had  ever  known  her  to  be." 

"  Sorrow  does  sometimes  give  a  last,  perfecting  touch  to 
beauty,"  said  Justin. 

"  Yes.  Bercelloni  seemed  always  to  have  loved  my  sister 
by  fits  and  starts.  Now  he  took  a  violent  fancy  to  her;  a 
fancy  that  was  stimulated  by  jealousy  into  a  keen  vitality. 
But  while  she  was  very  gracious  to  every  other  member  of 
the  troup,  she  would  not  vouchsafe  a  word  or  a  look  to  the 
man  who  had  so  basely  deceived  and  deserted  her." 

"  She  was  right.  Her  course  was  the  only  correct  one." 
"Yes,  but  it  maddened  him.  He  fiercely  claimed  her  as 
his  wife,  haughtily  asserted  a  husband's  rights  over  her, 
and  absolutely  forbade  the  manager  of  the  Opera  House  to 
pay  her  salary  to  herself !  He  told  her  that  the  story  of 
his  having  had  another  wife  was  a  mere  canard  ;  that  there 
was  no  truth  whatever  in  it ;  that  he  had  only  invented  the 
tale  to  tease  her. 

"  The  monstrous  villain  !  Who  could  believe  him  ?  " 
"Not  she,  at  all  events.  She  denied  his  statements, 
ignored  his  claims,  and  defied  his  anger.  He  become  furi- 
ously, frantically  jealous.  And  such  was  the  state  of  aifairs 
between  them,  when  one  morning  she  was  found  dead  in 
her  bed,  and  weltering  in  her  blood,  as  I  said.  The  coro- 
ner's inquest,  with  the  usual  perspicacity  of  such  bodies, 


THE   WOMAN'S  DEAREST    RIGHT.      505 

found  their  verdict,  '  Suicide.'     And  as  '  a  melancholy  case 
of  suicide '  it  was  recorded  in  the  daily  papers." 

"  Oh,  Britomarte  !  to  think  that  you  should  have  had 
this  great  sorrow  and  we  who  loved  you  should  have  known 
nothing  of-  it !  Why,  it  is  even  probable  that  I  may  have 
read  that  very  paragraph  describing  the  '  melancholy  case 
of  suicide/  without  the  slightest  suspicion  that  it  Mras  in 
the  least  degree  connected  with  your  life.  But  tell  me,  how 
in  the  name  of  justice  and  common  sense  did  Bercelloni 
get  off  so  easily  ?  " 

"  Oh,  he  proved  an  alibi  by  half  a  dozen  witnesses." 
"  Then  after  all  he  did  not  commit  the  crime." 
"Yes  he  did,  but  by  another  hand.  He  was  just  the  sort 
of  Italian  villain  to  hire  a  low  ruffian  to  do  the  deed  he 
feared  to  attempt.  And  that  was  the  way  in  which  he 
managed  it.  Listen,  Justin  :  At  the  time  that  I  came 
down  to  Washington  on  my  way  to  the  Rainbows,  I  went 
over  to  Witch  Elms  to  see  my  old  aunt,  to  explain  to  her 
why  I  went  to  New  York  so  suddenly,  and  to  ask  her  why 
she  hac  not  answered  my  letter  in  which  I  had  broken  to 
her  the  news  of  Mona's  awful  death.  When  I  reached 
Witch  Elms  the  very  first  person  whom  I  saw,  the  man 
who  opened  the  door  for  me,  was — Dole,  the  confidentia. 
servant  of  Bercelloni.  His  sudden  appearance  nearly  de- 
prived me  of  my  breath.  I  could  not  understand  why  he, 
of  all  men  should  be  there,  of  all  places.  But  he  took  my 
message  to  the  old  lady,  and  while  he  was  gone  I  went  to 
the  kitchen  and  asked  the  old  cook,  Nan,  how  this  man  came 
to  be  there,  and  in  what  capacity  he  served.  She  told  me 
that  her  mistress  had  advertised  for  an  overseer  for  her  farm, 
and  that  Dole  had  answered  her  advertisement,  and  had 
offered  himself  and  had  been  accepted  ;  and  moreover,  that 
he  had  already  obtained  a  great  influence  over  her  mis- 
tress." 

"  Was  this  person  you  speak  of  a  very  large  man  with,  a 


606  HOW      HE     WON     HER. 

very  small  head,  closely  cropped  hair  and  closely  shaven 
face?" 

"Yes;  why?" 

"  I  saw  him  one  night  when  I  rode  out  to  Witch  Elms, 
to  inquire  for  you,  that  is  all !  go  on,  dearest." 

"Old  Nan  had  scarcely  finished  her  account  of  Mr. 
Dole,  when  that  gentleman  returned  to  me  with  the  infor- 
mation that  my  aunt  would  not  see  me,  and  with  my  un- 
opened letter  in  his  hand." 

"  What  a  strange  old  soul !  " 

"  Well,  Justin,  I  will  not  weary  you  with  the  repetition  of 
all  my  attempts  to  see  my  old  relation.  They  were  quite 
fruitless.  She  knew  that  my  sister  was  dead,  and  how  she 
had  died.  She  knew  all  that  from  the  public  papers,  but 
that  did  not  melt  her.  She  remained  obdurate  to  the  last. 
Patience,  dear  Justin  !  my  long,  dark  story  is  almost  at  an 
end.  I  am  about  to  give  you  the  sequel  of  all  this." 

"  Go  on,  my  dearest  Britomarte,  and  believe  that  I  am 
listening  with  the  deepest  interest  and  closest  attention." 

"  I  pass  on  to  the  week  of  her  death.  I  was  here  at  the 
Parsonage  helping  to  nurse  your  sister  at  that  time,  you 
remember  ?  " 

"  Certainly." 

"  The  doctor  came  one  morning  and  announced  to  me  the 
death  of  my  aunt,  and  placed  a  packet  in  my  hand.  It  con- 
sisted of  a  half  dozen  newspapers,  with  certain  passages 
marked  in  them.  These  passages  related  to  the  arrest,  trial 
and  execution  of  a  guerrilla  named  Norse,  alias  Dipper,  alias 
DOLE.  It  was  stated  that  he  had  confessed  to  having  com- 
mitted nine  highway  robberies,  seventeen  successful  burgla- 
ries, and  five  murders.  With  these  papers  there  was  a  writ- 
ten manuscript  and  a  note.  The  note  was  from  the 
chaplain  of  the  prison  in  which  he  was  confined.  It  waa 
addressed  to  Miss  Pole.  It  explained  that  the  accom- 
panying manuscript  was  the  attested  confession  of  the 


THE    WOMAN'S    DEAREST    EIGHT.   507 

prisoner.     Justin,  I   have    that   document  bj  me ;    would 
you  like  to  look  at  it  ?  " 

"  Not  now,  dearest ;  I  would  rather  you  would  tell  me  its 
contents.  What  did  the  dying  culprit  confess  ?  " 

"  First  to  having  murdered  '  Madame  Mona,'  as  my  sister 
was  called,  for  the  sum  of  a  thousand  dollars,  paid  him  for 
the  service  by  the  Signer  Adriano  di  Bercelloni." 

"  Horrible  ! " 

"  Then  to  various  other  offences  which  would  have  seemed 
like  felonies,  except  by  the  side  of  that  one  enormous 
crime." 

"  You  left  the  Parsonage  soon  after  the  receipt  of  that 
packet." 

"  Yes ;  I  could  not  maintain  my  self-possession  sufficiently 
well  to  make  me  serviceable  in  a  sick  room.  So  I  hastened 
back  to  my  regiment  to  lose  the  keen  sense  of  sorrow  in 
active  military  service." 

"  Oh,  my  dear  Britomarte !  your  experience  of  men  has 
indeed  been  very  bitter  ! " 

"  So  bitter — so  stringent,  Justin,  that  it  contracted  and 
warped  my  judgment,  until  I  attributed  to  your  whole  sex 
the  follies  and  crimes  that  I  had  found  only  in  the  evil  men 
immediately  about  me  !  And  not  only  in  my  own  genera- 
tion, and  in  my  sister's  life,  but  in  the  lives  of  my  mother 
and  my  grandmother.  Yes,  Justin,  it  is  true  this  strange 
chain  of  coincidences  has  run  through  many  ages.  If  all 
the  women  of  my  race  had  been  like  me — proud,  defiant, 
high-spirited,  the  phenomena  might  have  been  easily 
explained.  It  might  have  been  said  that  they  were  a  race 
of  viragos  who  had  nothing  better  to  expect  than  misery  in 
marriage.  But  this  was  not  the  case,  at  least  with  my 
immediate  foremothers.  No  gentler  women  ever  lived 
than  were  my  mother  and  my  grandmother." 

But  Britomarte,  those  gentle  women,  by  too  deep  a  sub- 
mission, ruin  tbeir  domestic  happiness  as  often  as  the  high- 


508  HOW     HE     WON     HER. 

spirited  do  by  their  resistance.  Men  are  not  gods,  dear  love, 
and  so  they  are  very  often  spoiled  by  women.  But  there  is 
no  danger  of  your  spoiling  me  in  that  manner,  dear  Brito- 
marte,"  laughed  Justin. 

"  Indeed  there  is  not,"  she  answered.  "  And  for  this 
reason — because  you  would  never  abuse  the  power  that  the 
law  gives  you  over  the  outer  circumstances  of  your  wife's 
life,  or  that  she  herself  gives  you  over  the  inner  world  of 
her  affections." 

"  I  think  you  do  me  justice,  dear." 

"  Ah,  Justin,  I  grew  up  both  in  feelings  and  in  princi- 
ples a  man-hater.  My  narrow  personal  experiences  gave 
strength,  bitterness  and  intensity  to  my  feelings,  and  the 
frequent  discussions  of  the  topic  of  the  day,  '  Woman's 
Eights,'  gave  form,  shape  and  consistency  to  my  opinions. 
And  I  became  a  very  perfect  man-hater." 

She  paused  and  looked  at  him. 

He  was  contemplating  her  with  deep  tenderness,  but  he 
made  no  observation,  and  she  continued : 

"  It  was  at  this  very  flood  tide  of  my  young  soul's  life  that 
I  first  met  you,  Justin.  And  soon,  to  my  consternation,  I 
found  that  I — a  pledged  man-hater — was  loving  you,  Jus- 
tin !  loving  you  with  my  whole  heart,  just  as  all  the  women 
of  my  race  had  loved  men,  to  their  own  destruction.  How 
I  hated  and  scorned  myself  for  this  love  !  how  I  struggled 
against  it,  battled  with  it,  trampled  on  it,  tried  to  tear  it  up, 
root  it  out,  and  utterly  destroy  it,  you  well  know." 

"  All !  "  smiled  Justin. 

"  Because  you  see  I  did  not  believe  in  man's  love.  When 
you  said  to  me,  'I  love  you — I  want  you  for  my  wife,'  I 
interpreted  your  words  to  mean  just  this — '  like  your  looks, 
and  I  want  you  for  my  slave.'  Can  you  wonder  that  I 
resisted  my  own  love  and  resented  yours  ?  " 

He  did  not  answer.  He  was  still  contemplating  her  with 
ineffable  tenderness  and  infinite  love.  And  as  she  met  his 


THE    WOMAN'S   DEAREST    RIGHT.      509 

eyes,  her  eyes  softened,  beamed  and  dilated,  her  cheeks  and 
lips  glowed,  and  her  whole  countenance  grew  beautiful  and 
radiant  from  the  soul's  inner  light  and  life. 

"  But  oh,  Justin  ! "  she  murmured,  "  as  my  knowledge  of 
you  grew,  and  my  love  deepened,  what  a  change  came  over 
my  spirit  !  First  I  learned  that,  though  all  other  men 
might  be  false  and  base,  you  were  true  and  noble.  Next 
came  the  lesson  learned  on  the  Desert  Island,  where  I  found 
by  experience  how  utterly  helpless  woman  was  without  her 
brother  man.  I  saw  that  though  in  civilized  countries, 
which  men  had  already  made  habitable  for  women,  by  the 
building  of  cities,  houses  and  roads  ;  the  manufacture  of 
furniture,  clothing  and  utensils  ;  and  the  promotion  of  arts, 
sciences  and  education, — a  single  woman  might  live  well 
enough  ;  yet,  in  a  wilderness,  where  nothing  had  been  done 
— where  there  were  no  habitations,  no  manufactures,  no 
planted  crops — woman  could  not  possibly  exist  without 
man ;  though  he  might  live  without  her.  This  was  a 
humiliating  truth  to  the  proud  man-hater ;  but  it  was  truth, 
and  as  such  she  accepted  it." 

"  But  man  would  have  no  motive  to  live  or  to  labor,  if  it 
were  not  for  his  sister,  woman,"  answered  Justin. 

"  Then,"  she  continued,  "  the  war  broke  out.  And  that 
glorious,  awful  trial  brought  out  all  the  grandest  traits  of 
manhood — his  patriotism,  courage,  fortitude,  self-devotion — 
until  oh,  Justin,  from  being  a  man-hater,  I  have  almost 
become  a  man-worshipper  ! " 

"No,  don't !  "  he  said,  laughing  gaily,  catching  her  hand 
and  pressing  it  to  his  lips  ;  "  don't  do  it !  In  great  serious- 
ness, I  shouldn't  like  that.  Of  the  two  extreme  alterna- 
tives, I  would  rather  you  should  continue  to  be  a  man-hater, 
with  a  single  exception  in  my  favor." 

Britomarte  smiled  at  this  speech.  And  before  the  smile 
had  left  her  lips,  Elfie  opened  the  door ;  but  seeing  them 


510  HOW     HE     WON      HER. 

alone,  was  about  to  close  it  again,  when  Britomarto  called 
to  her : 

"Come  in,  Elfie  !  " 

She  entered,  saying : 

"  There  is  a  couple  out  in  the  hall,  inquiring  for  General 
Rosenthal.  They  are  on  their  way  to  the  North,  but  have 
stopped  till  the  next  train  for  the  sake  of  calling  to  see  the 
General." 

Justin  immediately  went  out  into  the  hall,  where  he 
found  Tom  and  Judith. 

They  were  looking  remarkably  well ;  and  the  Irish  woman 
was  eager  in  her  expressions  of  joy  at  seeing  her  old  friend, 
and  anxious  in  her  inquiries  about  Miss  Conyers.  Justin 
stepped  to  the  drawing-room  door  and  called  Britomarte 
out. 

And  there  ensued  a  meeting  a  great  deal  more  noisy  and 
demonstrative,  if  not  so  deeply  emotional  as  any  we  have 
recorded. 

Judith  and  Tom  had  made  money  enough  in  the  war  to 
cover  twenty  times  over  their  losses  Toy  Moiick's  capture  of 
their  wagon.  And  they  were  now  going  to  New  York  to 
start  in  the  grocery  and  provision  line  of  business.  Their 
time  was  limited  and  they  soon  took  leave,  amid  the  kindest 
wishes  for  their  future  welfare. 

Since  Britomarte's  arrival  at  the  Parsonage,  she  had 
noticed  that  Elfie  often  looked  at  her  with  very  roguish  eyes. 
So  the  first  time  she  found  herself  alone  with  that  wild 
young  woman,  Miss  Conyers  said : 

"  Now  I  want  you  to  tell  me  what  that  means  ?  Out 
with  it,  Elfie." 

"  I  must !  I  can't  keep  it  any  longer  !  I  want  to  tell  you 
that  I  knew,  if  nobody  else  did,  who  was  the  spy  that  pene- 
trated into  the  camp  of  the  Free  Sword ! " 

"  Oh,  Elfie,  speak  no  more  of  that !     It  was  a  stern  mili- 


THE    WOMAN'S    DEAREST    RIGHT.     511 

tary  necessity,  but  it  will  ever  remain  with  me,  one  of  the 
darkest  memories  of  the  war  ! " 

"  How  many  names  and  how  many  wigs  had  you,  Brito- 
marte — Wing,  Dill,  Gill  ?— You  were  a  very  pretty  boy  in 
the  blue-black  curled  wig,  as  Dill ;  but  you  were  a  hideous 
little  fellow,  in  the  short-cropped  flaxen  wig,  as  Wing?" 

"  Elfie,"  said  Miss  Conyers,  very  seriously,  "  Dill  is  miss- 
ing and  will  never  be  found.  Wing  is  dead  and  buried. 
Except  yourself,  there  is  but  one  person  in  this  world  who 
knows  my  identity  with  those  two  names.  How  you  have 
discovered  the  secret  I  do  not  know !  But  I  must  put  you 
on  your  honor  to  respect  it." 

".Here  ! "  said  Elfie,  lifting  a  Bible  from  a  centre-table, 
"  I  will  bind  myself  by  a  solemn  oath  never  to  mention  it 
again  to  any  living  soul !  not  even  to  Ethel,  my  betrothed  ! 
not  even  to  you  !  Will  that  satisfy  you  ?  " 

"Perfectly,  my  dear,"  answered  Miss  Conyers,  kissing 
Elfie. 


One  month  later  there  were  three  weddings  at  the  Par- 
sonage. 

Captain  Etbel  and  Elfie  were  married  and  sent  off  to 
Colonel  Fielding's  renovated  home  at  Sunnyslopes,  to  spend 
a  sbort  honeymoon.  And  it  was  agreed  that  during  Ethel's 
absences  at  sea,  Elfie  should  reside  there  and  keep  house  for 
her  father,  and  that  should  be  Ethel's  "  anchorage  "  when- 
ever he  should  be  ashore. 

General  Eastworth  and  Erminie  were  united,  and  started 
at  once  for  his  home  in  Virginia,  where  it  was  arranged  that 
Doctor  Rosenthal  should  soon  join  them,  with  the  intention 
of  residing  with  them,  and  helping  them  in  their  efforts  to 
restore  order  and  industry  in  their  own  section  of  country, 
and  to  promote  peace  and  good-will  between  the  North  and 
the  South. 


512 


HOW      HE     WON     HEK. 


Justin  and  Britomarte  were  the  third  couple  wedded.  It 
was  decided  that  they  should  reside  at  the  Parsonage  until 
Justin  should  be  mustered  out  of  the  service.  They  went  on 
a  short  tour  through  the  Northern  States;  but  returned  in 
time  to  celebrate  the  Great  Thanksgiving  of  that  year  at 
home.  The  very  next  morning  after  their  arrival,  as  they 
were  seated  together,  Justin  took  up  the  morning  paper, 
where,  among  other  interesting  items,  he  saw  the  advertise- 
ment of  a  celebrated  ladjr  lecturer,  who  was  announced  to 
deliver  a  discourse  at  a  certain  church  that  evening,  on  the 
great  subject  of  Woman's  Eights. 

"Ah,  by  the  way!  How  about  Woman's  Hights  now, 
sweet  wife  ?  "  said  Justin,  as  he  called  her  attention  to  the 
advertisement. 

"  While  I  live,"  answered  Britomarte,  "  I  will  advocate 
the  rights  of  woman — in  general.  But  for  my  individual 
self,  the  only  right  I  plead  for  is  woman's  dearest  right — to 
be  loved  to  my  heart's  content  all  the  days  of  my  life  ! " 


THE    END. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

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This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


DEC  16 


DISOHRGE-URL 
**  OCT121978 


NTERL1BRARY 

AUG  3  0  1971" 

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Form  L9-42m-8,'49(B5573)444 


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\\M]c*tf~     SURO?M 


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